Troublesome Timing
by FrozenLights
Summary: Shikamaru didn't know if it was time travel or reincarnation. But between memories of the future and having Itachi and Sasuke as brothers, he knew his dreams of a simple life would be impossible. [Wordcount: 44,701]
1. Clarion Dreams

**A/N:** Shika's reborn as 'Kazuki Uchiha', so it takes a little bit of time (~3 years) for him to understand his past as Shika (This is mostly because I don't believe that babies have the physical capacity to comprehend very much, or that anyone with random memories would immediately jump to the conclusion of 'reincarnation').

[EDIT 11/2]:I did try to minimize the use of Japanese, but some things just don't have the same connotations. If you have any suggestions or noticed where I was inconsistent, please don't hesitate to let me know. Quick thanks to **Jhallel** for reminding to use footnote instead of in-text translations.

* * *

**Chapter One**

**Clarion Dreams**

* * *

**Age 0**. Kazuki, peaceful hope. Looking at Sasuke's twin, Itachi was a little worried that he had named the unexpected addition into the family a little too well. The baby had been silent the whole night, unlike Sasuke who had started to fuss. His wails grew louder as Itachi's unease grew. "Don't worry, I'm here to protect you, both of you. No matter what."

Itachi would later recall that Kazuki's eyes had peered open a split second before an inhuman roar split apart the evening's ambience.

-o-

**Age 2**. Itachi grinned helplessly at the sight of Sasuke, standing eagerly before him, almost vibrating with excitement.

"Nii-san! I brough' Kazu! Canwegonoooow?" Sasuke finished expectantly.

Feigning ignorance, Itachi crouched down so that he was at eye-level with Sasuke. "Where is Kazuki?"

"Here!" With that, Sasuke promptly shoved a fistful of blankets that he had been clutching at Itachi's face. Peeking over, Itachi could see that the blankets had been used to drag around Kazuki, who lay curled up inside the pile, apparently dead to the world.

"Now can we go?" Sasuke huffed impatiently.

Before Itachi could reply, their mother interrupted, "Sasuke! Your brother has lots of homework from the academy! You can play after he's done!*"

Itachi smiled gently at Sasuke's dejected expression before leaning back to say, "I can do my homework later. The assignment's really simple!" He laughed when he heard Kazuki's muffled grumble under Sasuke's delighted shriek.

-0-

**Age 3.** Sasuke's level of energy was unnatural Kazuki decided. He watched his brother bound past the front door for the thirtieth time that night with a horrid attempt at nonchalance. With a sigh, he lifted his cheek from the table so that he could peer down at the homework their dad had assigned.

The problems didn't look difficult. He glanced at the page that Sasuke had abandoned on the table prior to his "bathroom break". With the exception of two, every blank space had been filled. He returned to his own sheet, which was still utterly blank.

He gazed at the pencil, two inches from the edge in front of him.

He returned his gaze to his paper and frowned.

Sighing again, he crossed his arms before him as a cushion for his head, and dropped his head. _Too much effort._

That night, he was sent straight to his room without dinner. _What is this?! Did you even try? Even Sasuke tried. How do you expect to carry the Uchiha name when you can't even do this? _

He had meant to write enough to satisfy his dad, but his dad had burst in right just as Sasuke went to take his thirty-second pass to the front door. The second he confirmed his twins had answered his calls, he bowled straight for Mikoto and pushed her into the kitchen. Kazuki managed to catch the words "Hyuuga", "kidnapped", "Kumo", and "treaty", before Sasuke drowned the rest out by shouting that Itachi was back from his escort mission. Hearing that, Fugaku had appeared in the doorway, noticed his blank worksheet, and started shouting.

From the tensed shoulders and the sudden loss of temper, Kazuki could guess that his dad was simply worried about the Hyuuga kidnapping. Something that he was a little more rattled by than his father's lectures, which he had already long been immune to. _The Hyuuga kidnapping - the incident where Neji lost his dad and grew a stick up his ass. _He felt denial creeping in, as it had for all the previous deja-vu moments in his life. But this time it was different. The suspicion that had always lingered at the back of his mind for as long as he could remember had finally coalesced.

He took a shaky breath. Because if Hinata was really kidnapped, then that would mean that his dreams were most likely not just dreams; because unlike the other events, the chances of this happening by chance were not very high.

He clenched his fists_. And if my dreams were true, then this could be some botched version of time-travel or reincarnation or _something_ (and just who did I screw over in my past life?) _because he had been Nara Shikamaru and not Uchiha Kazuki. And if his fragmented… memories (if that was what they were) were true, this meant that –

_Knock Knock_.

He raised his head and shifted his weight onto his elbows just as Itachi poked his head in, "Are you alright? Father was being harsh, but he means well."

"Aaa."

_- that Itachi was going to massacre the Uchiha clan before he graduated from the Academy, – _

"You look a bit pale. Are you sure?"

Kazuki returned a tired grin, "Un, I didn't sleep well last night."

Itachi laughed, "You're always sleeping. Here, I snuck some onigiri up for you. Hide it from father." Kazuki sat up and watched Itachi place a small wrapped knapsack on Kazuki's side table. Itachi then crouched and ruffled Kazuki's hair, "Sleep well tonight!" He turned to leave.

- _that_ _his brother was going to kill his whole family except for Sasuke, - _

"Itachi?"

His brother paused at the door.

He gave a faint smile, "Okaeri… I'm glad you're back."

- _and that he really wished he had made more of an effort learning the specific dates in Konoha's history._

With a soft thump, Itachi slid the door shut leaving Kazuki to stare miserably at the ceiling and reorganize his thoughts.

He had already tried to dispel any genjutsus that he could have been under as soon as he reached his room. He didn't really believe it was a genjutsu though. He had at least a year's worth of memories as Kazuki; he couldn't remember how or if he had died, but if he had been in a fight, no one would have had the time to put him under a genjutsu for a year – unless time dilation was involved. From what he remembered, only the Itachi had that sort of skill and inclination to use that skill. Additionally, if it was information, there were far more efficient ways of gathering information.

That meant that A. he was crazy (in which case, he was already screwed), B. some of his dreams just happened to coincide with reality, or C. he had limited "precognition" because of some universe displacement, possibly by time travel, reincarnation, or some other mode. There was no point in considering option A, and option B…

Slowly, he formed the rat seal and watched a shadowy tendril dance out from beneath him. Slightly out of breath, he let his hands drop limply beside him, _well, that left assumption C. _He let out a sigh_ …C for Crap, how is this my life?!_

-0-

Bright lights, explosive forces, and painpainpainPAINPAIIIN. Fingers broken, spread-eagled, skin melting, bloody grins and somuchdesperation_ASUMA-SENSEI! _Horror_, the village. …_Disbelief and determined denial. Scattered shogi pieces, fallen cigarettes, tear stains, and anguished cries and still the desperation _notfear_ just grows with the screams, distrust, paranoia and _breathe, just breatheandCALMDOWN-!_

Kazuki sat up with a choked sob, hastily stifled. Trembling, he muffled a groan as the pain in his eyes grew. Driving the heels of his hands against his eyes, he struggled to regain his breath. Even as a part of him wanted to deny it – to continue as he was, another part was cold with the certainty.

He needed a plan to move forward. Above all else, he needed a plan to survive a potential massacre.

He wrapped his still-quivering hands together and pressed them against his mouth in an attempt to drive out the chill that had settled in his extremities. A part of him was reluctant to recall his dreams, which must have rushed forth after the day's realizations. The other part was attempting to face the daunting challenge of planning for at least the next two decades.

But those thoughts themselves were alarming, because they were just another reminder of dreams he couldn't deny. Because, at his age, he shouldn't have such capabilities of forethought – and that knowledge, that level of self-awareness, was creepy by itself.

_Had Itachi been that self-aware?_ His arms were still shaking. Something was wrong. Actually, the exhaustion that he had thought was a remnant of his dream seemed much too apparent now. Darkness overcame him.

-0-

Itachi paused outside the twin's bedroom. There it was – another hitched breath. _A nightmare?_ He raised his hand to slide open the door when he sensed Fugaku's chakra flare impatiently. He frowned, _maybe it was nothing_. He made his way to the office. He would check on the twins in the morning, before he met Shisui.

-0-

Itachi stopped at the courtyard on his way out. He could see his father's eyelid spasm as he oversaw the twins' morning cool down meditation. On the surface, both boys were sitting perfectly still, but then Sasuke twitched and shifted his weight. His hands were curled in the fabric of his trousers, fingers picking at the loose threads. Now and then, he would peek only to see Fugaku's stern gaze and hurriedly snap his eyes shut.

It was really adorable how hard he tried. Itachi switched his attention to the other boy and smirked_. _In sharp contrast, Kazuki was in a relaxed slouch, breathing deeply and calmly. Father still complained that he had named the other twin too well at times.

"Ittekimasu."

Fugaku's measured "Itterashai was echoed by Sasuke and met with silence by Kazuki.

As Itachi walked towards the compound's entrance, he heard Kazuki's yelp, "Itaii!"

"Stop sleeping!"

-0-

Shisui's landing was masked by the wind rushing through the leaves. The rustling whispers were loud enough to remind Itachi of the waves in Kiri.

Shisui greeted him with a frown, "Have you been sleeping? If you keep this up, those lines under your eyes will become permanent."

Itachi gave Shisui a faint wry grin, "It's good to see you too."

Shisui's grin twisted as he sat on the branch and gazed over the treetops, "…It seems like your worries weren't for nothing."

Itachi watched Shisui carefully, "So you see it too?"

Shisui sighed, "I never said I didn't. Did you know, before the Fourth died, there had been talks of raising the age restriction for graduating the Academy?" When Itachi said nothing, Shisui continued, "He was worried the village was pushing its children too fast, too early."

"Children like me…" _Children like Kakashi?_

Shisui nodded and tapped his fingers against the bark. _Yes_. "But then he died and with the devastation that the Kyuubi caused, the village needed visibility – needed to show its strength."

"Do we still? I assume that's why they keep sending me out on escort missions."

Shisui nodded again, "It's been two years since, but the village has had a lot to rebuild. We've shown our strength – now we need to _use_ it." Shisui rested his chin in his hand, half obscuring his mouth.

Itachi stared at Shisui for a moment, nonplussed. _A mask?_ _Kakashi's in ANBU? What does Kakashi joining ANBU matter? Is our clan upset that Obito's eye might be at risk? _

"The problem is, no one wants to forgive and everyone wants to suspect." Shisui glanced at their clan symbol. "I suspect, everyone will want you."

Itachi blinked, "To suspect me or to want me?"Much as he missed the comfort of talking to someone who could understand and empathize with him, he could do without Shisui's cryptic communications.

-0-

The images were clearer this time; the pain, sharper. _Protect the king_. The smoke stung his eyes. Monstrous chakra – _take care of your mother._ Oyaji _…_ Was it the pain of tears? Dawning despair and settling resolve. _Why was he here?_

Half-awake now from the pain in his eyes, words came to him unbidden. _Running away like this, living a life where I don't see through things… I don't want to live a complicated life like that either_.

He cried silently, disoriented, in pain and unable to move from exhaustion. Dimly, he was aware someone had entered his room and was rushing towards him.

-0-

Itachi kept his eyes closed as he sensed a presence hovering outside his door, "Sasuke?"

He heard the door slide open and a quiet shuffle of steps. He rolled over and opened his eyes to see Sasuke peering up at him through his bangs, "Kazuki's having a nightmare."

Itachi flipped his open his covers and stepped into his slippers. Standing up he felt Sasuke's hand automatically slide into his own. _Sasuke was too proud to find him if it wasn't a problem. _"Is Kazuki ok?"

As if that was a switch, Sasuke lost his hesitancy and began pulling Itachi down the hall. He answered in a rushed whisper, "His mumbling woke me, so I went into his room - but I couldn't wake him!"

Kazuki's door was already open when they arrived. Taking one look at the bed, Itachi interrupted Sasuke's run forward by grabbing the back of his shirt and swinging him around to face the door, "Wake up mother and father. Tell them I'm at the hospital with Kazuki."

As he began to gather Kazuki, blankets and all, he saw that Sasuke hadn't moved and was staring at him with large distressed eyes. He smiled reassuringly, "Go, it'll be alright."

Sasuke bit his lip, nodded, and ran off.

Once he located his sandals, Itachi picked up Kazuki and leapt out the window. _Why were his chakra levels so low? How had no one noticed? _

"Oyaji…" Itachi tightened his grip at Kazuki's mumbled whimper and picked up his pace across the rooftops.

-0-

**Age 4**. "You can't play ninja with us."

Kazuki turned back to see a stocky boy's hopeful smile die. He was struck by the familiarity of the red swirls on the boy's chubby cheeks. _…Chouji?! _The kid wore a green turtleneck under blue overalls that he was now balling into tiny fists, "Why?"

"'Cuz whichever team you're on will defini'ly lose. You're too slow."

Kazuki frowned and turned towards the speaker, "But we've got odd numbers. Even games like shougi are fun when both players have the same number of pieces."

"Having useless pieces is just as good as having none at all."

Kazuki pouted and started to protest when he realized that the chubby kid had already left. He darted into the main street, but the boy was already long gone. _Slow, my ass. _

Five minutes in, he was already antsy and bored. He was pretty sure that the boy had been Chouji. Considering the fact that he tired much more easily than others (ever since the onrush of dreams had struck), he decided to let himself get "killed" and wandered off. He didn't know how he could miss someone that he had only met in fragmented memories.

Then again, team 10 had been irreplaceable. Ino had been an angry harpy at times, but she had been _his_ angry harpy, guaranteed to galvanize their team. Complementing her, Chouji was their ground, the kind and steadfast roots of their team. He sighed again. If he wasn't a Nara, would their team still be formed? He frowned and made a note to look into his old clan.

Before he knew it, he found himself climbing the stairs to his old cloud watching haunt. As far as he knew, he was still safe from Sasuke's hovering tendencies there. As the roof came into view, he overheard the tail end of a conversation. _Looks like someone's already there._

"…If you meet him, treat him as your best friend, and become comrades who will trust in each other more than anything else." _Chouza? _

Reaching the rooftop, he spotted the boy who had left, "Hey you-!"

Startled eyes met his, "You're that kid!"

He gave a small nod to the adult, who acknowledged him with a smile and stood up to leave. Ambling over in a slouch, he introduced himself "I'm Kazuki... You're in my seat."

"Your seat?"

"Yeah," plopping himself down next to the boy, Kazuki continued, "I love to lay here and watch the clouds."

"You came to stare at the clouds?"

He shrugged, crossed his arms behind his head, and lay down.

"What about the ninja game?"

"Heh, I got tired of it, so I ditched them. What's your name?" He turned towards the boy who had started to smile again.

"Chouji! Akimichi clan's Akimichi Chouji!" Chouji pulled out a bag before settling down next to Kazuki. Crinkling the bag open, he proffered the bag to the side, "I got some snacks."

Kazuki felt tension, he didn't know he had, leave him. He was relieved that some things, at least, were a universal constant_. _"Eh thanks. Let's just watch the clouds and chill, 'k?"

-0-

Itachi stood in the rain, just inside the main compound. Part of him was relieved he and Shisui had finally devised some strategies. The other part was still stunned that tensions had already developed to this point. _Things were escalating much faster than we had forecasted. _

As heir to the clan head, part of his responsibilities included procuring emergency clan resources, including medical field packs, food rations, and commonly used weaponry. In the recent months, his father had been asking for higher numbers of these supplies. When he had asked, his father had said that these raised numbers were in preparation for when the village would start requesting the Uchiha clan to complete more dangerous missions. However, Shisui had reported that the majority of missions assigned to Uchihas had thus far been limited to inside the village.

_If these numbers were raised in anticipation of trust that would never be given…. _

Now, the two of them were banking on Itachi's strength and appeal as a genius of the Uchiha and of Konoha. He hoped the recent developments from his last mission would aid their gamble.

"Nii-san?"

Itachi turned to see Kazuki staring up at him with concerned furrowed brows.

"Why are you standing in the rain? Did you just get back?"

Itachi gave him a tired grin and deflected, "Why are_ you_ standing in the rain Kazu-kun?" Throwing an arm over the boy's thin shoulder, he pulled the boy against his side and started towards one of the main pathways.

Kazuki frowned, "I gave my umbrella to a friend, since he had farther to walk." He paused, and scrutinized Itachi with narrowed eyes, "Something happened on your last mission, didn't it?" Kazuki wasn't sure if he imagined Itachi's widened eyes, before a wide smile split his brother's face and caused him to take a small step back.

Itachi's grinned wickedly as he held Kazuki tight and ruffled his hair despite the squirming and flailing, "Aww, my little brother is worried about me." When he finished, several strands had fallen out of the pony tail that Kazuki had taken to wearing since a year back. Itachi laughed at Kazuki's disgruntled expression, "Where's Sasuke? Are you still hiding from him?"

Kazuki's pout became even more exaggerated, "He's so troublesome. He wants me to rest where he can see me, but then he wants me to train with him so I won't tire as easily and so he can beat you, and then he chases me all over the place and …" He sighed and dropped his head to his chest. "I'm glad you're back. You can deal with him."

Itachi laughed for what felt like the first time in a long time and ruffled Kazuki's hair again. Irritating his two brothers was just too easy. "I don't think I'll be home for very long."

Kazuki gaped at him, betrayed, "Aaah? You might be a genin, but you're eight and you've been gone for like four months, so you should have at least a month at home!"

Itachi raised his brows, impressed, "Oh? Why a month?" He watched as Kazuki grimace and blush. _I've really missed your growth, haven't I?_ After watching Kazuki struggle to spit out an answer, he tugged Kazuki's ponytail, "Race you back!" and jogged off.

"Eh? No fair!"

-0-

Using two fingers, Itachi stopped Sasuke's forward dash with a light poke to his forehead, "Sorry Sasuke, maybe tomorrow." He watched Sasuke's cheeks puff out with indignation. "Have you been taking care of your brother?" He grinned inwardly. _If Kazuki __only __knew who had first set Sasuke on him._

Indignation forgotten, Sasuke nodded proudly, "He's still lazy though. Father's always after him to practice throwing shuriken. But if father doesn't watch us, he climbs up the trees and sleeps."

"Climbs the trees?"

"Yea, and father can't say anything cuz Mother said to let him sleep when he can." Itachi wasn't surprised. After the night Itachi had discovered Kazuki and taken him to the hospital, the hospital had only been able to diagnose Kazuki with extreme chakra deprivation. For the first month, Kazuki hadn't been able to stay awake for more than a minute and had been bedridden for another three months. He had only been able to stand when Itachi had left. None of the medical personnel could provide them with an explanation. Itachi suspected the doctors were hesitant to speculate on the health of an Uchiha patient. _Another symptom of our pride_.

Itachi frowned, "Does he still have nightmares?"

Sasuke shrugged, "I dunno, he doesn't wake me anymore, but he still sleeps a lot – especially in the library. I think he's just being a sleepyhead. Hey, hey can I see your Sharingan? Father said you got it during your mission!"

_So father has an Uchiha reporting to him in the mission center? _

"Tomorrow. Go to bed – father still wishes to talk with me." Sighing exaggeratedly, Sasuke slouched off toward his room.

Once Sasuke had disappeared around the corner, Itachi headed back towards the kitchen, but paused with his hand hovering over the door handle when he heard Kazuki's voice, " – Chouji's dad said it's unusual for genin to be assigned so many back-to-back missions outside of the village, unless it's been requested."

"You may be young, but that does not excuse you from talking to outsiders about matters of our clan."

"I didn't! And anyway, you said that Itachi's gotten the sharingan. I know how you get the sharingan! Those lines under his eyes have only gotten worse, aren't you worried that-"

Itachi heard the resounding thump of a fist hitting the floor. Deciding he had heard enough, he slid open the door and feigned ignorance, pretending to only just sense the tension in the room. It wasn't too difficult. Kazuki's head was down, avoiding his father's glare. "Something wrong?"

Kazuki shook his head, while his father answered, "No, Kazuki was just going to bed."

Without looking up, Kazuki gave a quick bow, and brushed past Itachi with a whispered, "Oyasumi."

-0-

Kazuki sat in his bed, looking over the mess of knotted rope in his hands. During his stay at the hospital, his family had assumed that he had taken an interest in lanyards to pass the time and improve the dexterity in his hands. In truth, he had been recording what he could remember. He had knotted a separate lanyard for every major event he had been able to recall, using colors to code in the minor incidents in each event. Currently, he was focused on modifying the lanyard representing what he could recall about the Uchiha Massacre.

He had initially focused on the logistics of a massacre. Aside from Obito and Itachi, Sasuke had been the last surviving Uchiha, which meant that somehow, the attack had happened quickly and en mass. Rumors and Sasuke had both identified Itachi as the sole instigator of the attack, which would imply that the Uchiha had been gathered together for some event, remote triggered traps had been set, poison was involved, or some combination of the above.

From his exploration around the compound, he had only detected a few harmless traps, designed as security measures. He had found nothing that could be remotely triggered to kill. He was still looking into potential counters to poisons, but progress was slow since he didn't know what type of poison was most likely used.

He wasn't very confident in his ability to counter everything Itachi could have conceived. Though he intended on continuing his research and explorations, he knew that if he were Itachi, he'd have contingency plans behind contingency plans. However, that only left countering the motivation of the massacre, which was where he was stuck.

He flopped backwards on his bed. It was just… he was missing so much information. Sasuke wanted to avenge his clan. But right after he killed Itachi, he joined the Akatsuki and declared his intent to destroy the village. _Then again…_

Kazuki narrowed his eyes; he still remembered the shocked confusion at Sasuke's sheer gall, jumping into the chaos with his declaration to become Hokage to change the village. _As if we'd accept any of his changes. _

… _How did Sasuke ever become something like that? _At least he had been fighting with them against Madara and Obito … who were both Uchihas.

Would he inherit the insanity that seemed to plague the Uchihas? No one really seemed to be insane now. Unless…, a conversation with his old man floated to the forefront of his mind. _People can make mistakes in shougi, Shika, just like in life. But don't be so quick to dismiss moves as mistakes. Just because you do not see the motive, doesn't mean it isn't there. _

He sat up and returned his attention to the lanyard.

_To change the village._

Sasuke wanted to avenge his clan, so he killed Itachi. If he thought the village wronged his clan, he would want to destroy the village. But what would direct his rage towards the village?

He thought back. The hokages that had arrived in their battle against Obito hadn't seemed surprised by Sasuke's arrival. In fact, judging by the timing of the arrivals, Sasuke was the one who had brought the hokages. So did the hokages change his mind? But what could they have known…?

The third. Sandaime. He was the only one who could have known enough about Sasuke to say something of influence.

So the Sandaime was involved in a decision that, on the surface, could be blamed for the clan's demise? However, that still didn't explain Itachi's decision to kill everyone. He glanced at another lanyard lying to the side, the one for the Godaime.

He picked it up and started to add new knots when he realized that he had forgotten to add another incident to the lanyard timeline. Why did Itachi decide to attack the village after the Chuunin exams?

Finishing, he dropped the lanyard down. And was it really an attack? From what he could remember, Asuma had said that Itachi had easily taken down Kakashi in the presence of both Asuma and Kurenai.

He gathered the lanyards and colored rope. Tucking them under his pillow, he curled up beneath his sheets. Assuming Asuma's story was true, Itachi had been made captain of ANBU before the massacre. The next chuunin exams weren't for another year. Based on Itachi's fast progression through the Academy and the promotion rotations, it would probably take him another year to become ANBU. By then, he would be 11, so it would probably take another three or four years for him to be old enough for others to respect as a captain.

_So I have at least four or five years. Probably._

Five years to solve four questions. Why would Itachi attack his family? How was he able to kill everyone in one night without detection? How was Itachi's attack connected to the Sandaime? What was the nature of the village or Sandaime's involvement?

* * *

**Translations**

Ittekimasu (I'm leaving)

Itterashai (Please go and come back)

Oyaji (old man)

Oyasumi (Good night)

* * *

**A/N Continued**:

So I haven't written fiction since high school, sorry if the transition from technical writing's a little choppy.

Anyone like this? Should I continue? Reviews with only one word are totally fine with me…. I do have the rest of the story somewhat outlined out, so this will probably be finished. Whether or not it's finished as a drabble series is a separate matter. Also, did things drag? I had debated cutting some of the earlier scenes...

**I need a beta**. Preferably someone familiar with the manga and anime. I haven't seen/read random segments of Naruto. (I actually stopped following Naruto for several years, and have only recently caught up). There are some key scenes coming up that I'd like to discuss. Also, I want to check whether or not the characters are OOC. I think the only one really in danger of that is Shikamaru, but it's kind of difficult trying to figure out how he would act as a kid with Uchiha blood. Itachi's somewhat interesting, but he seemed mostly normal before his confrontation with the police. Kakashi, I think, would be the other tricky one to get down satisfactorily. Also, Shisui, who thinks he's still alive?

Also, changing finding a new name for Shikamaru was so hard Q.q. I like his original name and how it shortens to "shika", but… yea… It also took forever trying to figure out a new name for him. At first it was Yasu, but that didn't really fit. Then I had Yuki, or Yukiyasu, but that still didn't really feel right. Then I thought about using "Kazumi"… and then discovered that was more prevalent as a female name.

I did not fully appreciate how much of a genius Itachi was until I tried to vomit out all my plot bunnies in a coherent manner. Yeesh. But anyway, I NEED A BETA. :D Next chapter contains entering the Academy, meeting Naruto, Itachi coming to terms with what he might have to do and stuff with Shisui, Naruto's relationship with Iruka, Mikoto's secret (?kindasorta), and of course the massacre. … uh, so that might be broken into smaller chapters. Idk, I just really need feedback about what scenes to include (cuz these scenes kinda write themselves).

Ugh. Coherence. XD. Plot bunnies keep on attacking me, so I might post the chapter 2 next week, with or without a beta. But, for the whole massacre scene, I'd really prefer having a beta. :D

Anyway, sorry for the long A/N. Thanks for reading :)


	2. Requiem's Prelude

**A/N: **o.O Uh, just a head's up, I stuck the massacre in the next chapter since I'm already well over 5k words for this chapter. More notes at the end.

EDIT (10/14): Massacre's prolly going to be in the fifth or sixth chapter. I'm already at 5k words for the third chapter and there's no way I'm posting a chapter over 10k words.

* * *

**Chapter Two**

**Requiem's Prelude.**

* * *

**Age 5**. Despite the urgency spearing his chest, he felt like he was wading through a swamp - forward and forward and nowhere at all. The mist was growing thicker, and though he knew it was to protect the Alliance, it was just another impediment slowing him down. Gasping and struggling, he pushed back growing panic as he was struck with dreaded certainty that…

He woke up without warning, covered in cold sweat. Chest heaving, he pushed himself up and felt the weight on his legs shift. Moonlight spilled over the covers, casting shadows and illuminating a still form lying atop his covers. It was his older twin, who was currently acting like a limpet, curled around both of his legs. No wonder it had felt like he was going nowhere.

Gingerly, he tried to remove his legs from Sasuke's grasp. When his efforts only caused Sasuke to curl up even more tightly, he sighed and gritted his teeth. Reaching down, he flicked the boy's forehead, causing Sasuke to recoil back with a sleepy whine. Seizing his chance, he quickly replaced his legs with his pillow, leapt out of bed, and froze comically in place with one foot in the air. When he was certain he hadn't roused his brother, he stepped back. _He must have heard my nightmares again. _

Sasuke shivered. Rolling his eyes, he grabbed the covers that had fallen on the floor and covered his brother's prone form. The little idiot was going to catch a cold.

Rubbing his neck, he turned and trod toward the bathroom. He turned on the faucet and waited for the water to chill. Dealing with Sasuke had dispersed most of the nightmare's panic. But once the panic ebbed, pain and exhaustion rose in its place. Splashing the cold water against closed eyes helped to drain away some of the irritation. Pressing his heels against his eyes, he waited for drowsiness to return. It was a little disturbing how easily he tired these days.

It wasn't too long before he felt sleep drag at his eyelids and made his way back with a yawn. Soon, he found himself standing at the side of the bed, watching Sasuke sleep. Wrapped around the pillow, head tucked away, Sasuke suddenly seemed ridiculously young and innocent. _Was that why Itachi spared him?_

_Spared him when he had killed everyone else, including the children... _

Shaking his head, he grimaced at himself. In his current state, there was no point in thinking about the topic this late at night. Gently, he nudged Sasuke aside and settled under the covers. Just as he was ready to drift off, he was struck by another thought.

If he failed to prevent the massacre… would Itachi spare him?

-0-

"Itachi?"

Itachi looked backwards to see his mother gathering dishes, "Mother?"

"I heard you had the day off today..?" she shot him a hopeful, if harried, look.

Itachi smiled, "I can watch the two of them. How long will you be gone?"

"Oh, it shouldn't be for too long, I just need to drop off a couple of packages." She pushed back her hair with the back of her hand, "I'm not too worried about leaving Kazuki alone. He always manages to find Chouji; and since he's Chouza's boy, a clan heir and all, I'm sure Kazuki will be safe. I'm more worried about Sasuke training by himself." With a quick movement, she stacked a set of food containers in the center of a square piece of bright fabric. With a practiced twist of the hand, she expertly knotted the fabric around the boxes.

"Here's lunch. There's enough for all of you in there."

Itachi nodded and accepted the package. "Are they outside?"

As his mother untied her apron in a hurry, she added, "Yes, just out the back, I think. Oh, and please make sure Kazuki finishes his share! That boy's lazy enough to sleep through his meals if he had the choice." Having finished tidying up the kitchen, she thanked Itachi again as she rushed out the kitchen.

The silence didn't last a second before Itachi heard an aggravated cry, "KAAAZZZZZUUUUKKIIIIII!"

Well, now he knew where they were.

When he reached the courtyard, he saw Sasuke ranting at Kazuki, who lay on the ground, languidly rolling away with every step Sasuke took.

Spread-eagled in the dirt and staring at the sky, Kazuki looked completely inattentive.

"We're going to go to the Academy tomorrow, so we have to be prepared," Sasuke proclaimed, arms akimbo in frustration.

Kazuki finally rolled onto his stomach and gave Sasuke a flat look, "For what?"

Sasuke stretched his arms above him, waving for emphasis, "To represent our clan!"

"How?" Kazuki drawled.

"With… with taijutsu!" Taking the basic Form I stance, he lectured, "Father said Itachi already knew the basic forms before he was a student, so we should too."

Despite his distance, Itachi could hear Kazuki, chin now propped on one hand, grumble under his breath, "Is that what father says or what you say?"

Seeing that Kazuki's attention was waning, Sasuke started to demonstrate, "I saw one of the older Academy students practice this form in the courtyards! Just watch!" Itachi's eyes widened as he saw that the angle Sasuke was adopting was completely incorrect. _If he continued to follow through that with that motion, he would twist his ankle._

Before he said anything though, Kazuki had sat up, grabbed a stick, and jabbed Sasuke hard in the stomach. The sudden push caused Sasuke to shift his weight, throwing him off balance, "Itaii!"

Kazuki frowned at Sasuke, "Stop rushing everything. You're so troublesome. Didn't you twist your ankle the last time you tried something new?"

Sasuke flushed and growled petulantly, "Did not!"

Not dignifying Sasuke with a verbal reply, Kazuki half-heartedly jabbed at Sasuke again from his seat on the ground. Dodging, Sasuke made to grab Kazuki's stick, "Stop it, how'd'you always find these sticks anyway? If you just wanna nap all day, then fine! But don't stop me from training!"

Before matters could degenerate further, Itachi stepped into view. Even though he hadn't said a word, Kazuki greeted him with a deadpanned, "He started it," and pointed at Sasuke with his stick.

Furious, Sasuke yanked the stick away and attempted to use it to hit Kazuki. But Kazuki had already hidden himself behind Itachi's legs. Knowing he'd only make matters worse if he laughed, Itachi beckoned Sasuke with a wave of the hand.

Anger momentarily forgotten, Sasuke trotted up. Once in reach, Itachi picked him up and swung him over his shoulder. "First thing, Kazuki, you shouldn't hit your brother."

"Hah!"

Itachi shrugged the shoulder with his brother, silently admonishing Sasuke, and turned to see Kazuki staring expectantly at him.

He amended, "For no reason." They were training to become shinobi after all. Sasuke punched Itachi's back in protest, "Hey!"

"I was fixing his stance."

He raised a brow and held a hand out for Kazuki to hold as they left the house, "By interrupting it?" Albeit, Itachi admitted, the boy had interrupted Sasuke at just the right angle. Shoving him off-balance from a different angle could have made things worse. Now, whether or not it was an accident…

"Yea. He was going to hurt himself."

"No, I wasn't! An' lemme down!" Sasuke piped up at the same time as Itachi was intrigued and asked "How did you know?"

"He was trying something new. Chouji's dad said never to try something new by ourselves. …Also, where are we going?" Itachi glanced at Kazuki's guileless eyes and wondered if the subject change was a poor attempt at deflection or the result of a child's short attention span.

"The playground."

Immediately, Sasuke started protesting, "Ehhh? I thought we were going to go to the training grounds! You promised to show me how to throw shuriken!"

Kazuki slouched further, "What a pain."

-0-

As they made their way back, this time with Kazuki riding piggyback on Itachi's shoulders, Sasuke started to tug on Itachi's hand.

"What's wrong?"

Kazuki followed Sasuke's gaze to a building on their right, "This is where our father works right?"

Itachi answered, "It's the headquarters of Leaf's Police Force." He missed Kazuki's quizzical expression.

"I always wondered," Sasuke began, staring intently at the building, "Why do the police have our house symbol?"

Itachi was startled his brother's one-track mind had noticed, "What, you knew about that?"

"Of course!"

Itachi grinned at the indignation in Sasuke's voice, "Well, to make it simple… it's been said that the guy who made this organization was our ancestor. That's why they put the house emblem as the symbol of this place. Our clan protected the order of this village from long ago."

Adjusting his hold on Kazuki, he continued, "Our emblem is also a mark of our honorable clan. The Uchiha clan hasn't decreased but almost all of us are working for the first division of the force and participating in keeping the order of the village. Only highly skilled shinobis can enforce the laws on shinobi's crimes."

"Then who watches the Uchiha?"

Itachi tilted his head back at Kazuki's question, "Being an Uchiha doesn't mean that the police can give us special treatment. Rather, to uphold the name, the police would be more likely to give an Uchiha the less desired type of special treatment." Seeing Sasuke's confused expression, he elaborated, "If you were in trouble, would you be more afraid of father or the police?"

Without hesitation, both twins replied, "Father."

"Exactly."

Sasuke cocked his head to the side, "Are you going to join here too?"

Itachi answered noncommittally, "Hmm, maybe."

"You should!"

Itachi felt Kazuki squirm behind him, "What is it?"

Kazuki hesitated, "But, does everyone know that? Wouldn't other people think we were getting special treatment if the only police are Uchiha? Isn't that like one family ruling over everyone else?" Before either of his brothers could respond, he hastily added, "We'd be like the evil overlord!"

Sasuke pouted, "Take that back! We're not evil!"

Before Kazuki could twist out of his hold, Itachi set him down, allowing him to dart off, "Nyah, can't catch me." Itachi stared thoughtfully at the police headquarters building, watching Sasuke pursue Kazuki from his peripheral vision.

-0-

Kazuki watched the clouds crawl past as Chouji chomped on chips beside him. It would have been nostalgic had he not been mulling over what he had just learned. Flipping over on his side, he idly started gathering the scattered pebbles lying on the roof.

As it stood, there was little more he could do towards interfering with the logistics of the attack. He was fairly certain that he would be able to execute a counter for a poison attack by the next year.

Over the course of the year, he had managed to gather ingredients required for stasis pills. Due to the larger distances, the medicine wouldn't be effective outside the village, but it would provide enough time for patients or medics to reach one another. Squirreling away the requisite equipment had been more of a challenge, but a necessary one from what he remembered as a Nara. By his calculations, gathering enough ingredients for the whole clan would only take another six months – plenty of time to develop, if not discover, an alert system to the hospital.

However, he knew that plan was full of risks. A preventative plan would be far better than a mitigation plan, but there was just too much he didn't know.

He knew he was dealing with five players. He found four distinctive rocks to place aside: a smooth black skipping stone for Itachi, a fist-sized sandy limestone for the Uchiha, a small white pebble for Sasuke, and a rusty brown tile for the Sandaime. _One more…_ Eyes alighting on a fallen leaf, he reached out and snagged it, before sweeping the area free of the debris.

His instinct said that he had been staring at the breeding grounds for unrest that morning. A police force comprised entirely of one clan? He laid the leaf over the limestone. Such a force would almost guarantee a dislike of the Uchiha by the village. But maybe he was being too cynical. After all, from what he had seen and remembered, the villagers had seemed to respect, if not revere the Uchiha name.

Then again, maybe they didn't want to speak ill of the dead. There had been a lot of dead after all.

Reacting to a gust of wind, he flipped his hand to weight down the leaf with the limestone

– and stared. _Or maybe…_

Would the Uchiha dislike the village? If the police force belonged to the Uchiha, then it was unlikely that many Uchiha could be spared for village missions. If Uchihas couldn't take many missions, then the clan's funding would probably be affected.

For that matter, how was the police funded?

Most likely, the police could only be funded by the clan or by the benevolence of the village council. If the Uchiha were reliant upon the village, they would be limited in how much they could demand – out of pride, propriety, and simple feasibility. Policing was an honorable duty. Demanding recompense would be unsightly- unlike with high-stake missions.

He could almost see the metaphoric chains constraining the Uchiha's movements.

If that were the case, the Sandaime would almost certainly be aware of the discontent. He grabbed the red tile and thumbed it absentmindedly as he remembered the pressure his father was placing on Itachi and, inadvertently, on Sasuke. After all… his father was hardly the type to stifle his voice. Hesitantly, he balanced the tile on the limestone. Ignoring the implications of the placement of his last piece, he turned his attention to the remaining pieces.

Originally, one of the ideas he had tossed around when he was younger was that Itachi had snapped from the pressure. It wasn't the most ideal explanation for a number of reasons. At the same time, he realized as he reached for the black pebble, that didn't change the fact that Itachi was carrying a lot on his shoulders.

As a former clan head heir himself, he understood a little of the responsibilities that Itachi was tasked with, but he had no idea how much more Itachi took on as an Uchiha. Aside from being an heir to Fugaku, Itachi was also a genius, which was a double-edged sword that he also understood much too well.

On one hand, a high IQ would help a person protect those they loved. At the same time, it meant that everyone gambled and placed their bets on that person.

Kazuki clenched his fists. His own physical weaknesses back then meant that as much as his team relied on him, he also _had_ to rely on them. _Did Itachi have someone to rely on? Was he aware of that was an option? _

He stared at the red tile. If Itachi relied on someone outside of the Uchiha clan, someone who wasn't adding to the pressure, would he….?

Gingerly, he added the black pebble to the stack, next to the space beside the red tile, on top of the limestone. _Would he help the Hokage suppress a rebellion? _

The implications that he had tried to suppress earlier, blew through his mind. If the Uchiha rebelled, the Hokage would almost certainly be compelled to respond – most likely with force. For a clan as proud and as powerful as the Uchiha, a complete culling was almost certainly necessary since it was the … easiest and fastest solution. He shuddered.

It was hard to think of the old man as that type of person, especially since he still remembered the Sandaime's funereal photograph and Konohomaru's devastated sobs.

…_responding with such force... Force._

… _Danzo!_

_He could_ _be that type of person._ He gazed at the lone white stone. Sasuke had killed Danzo. Danzo had also seized power immediately following Tsunade's fall. Danzo was also the one who had authorized the kill-order on Sasuke.

He remembered the Rookie 9's gossip surrounding Sai. Who else was he unaware of that operated from the shadows?

He felt like he was balancing on a tightrope as he picked up the white stone. He had connected all of the parties. But the connections were so tenuous. At the same time, _everything_ had been connected, even memories that he had initially thought irrelevant. It would also explain Sasuke's actions.

He swept his hand through and wrecked the stack, releasing the breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. He didn't want to believe it. Despite himself, his thoughts raced onwards.

Back then, he had been a little surprised to hear news of Itachi's defeat at the hands of Sasuke. After all, Itachi had been rendered Kakashi comatose with ease. Having fought with Kakashi before, he knew Kakashi wasn't an easy opponent – and Sasuke had been trained by Kakashi. He knew victories over opponents weren't exactly transitive, where if opponent A could beat B, and opponent B could beat C, then opponent A should be able to beat C. He was also well aware that these battles took place at different times, with plenty of time for opponents to grow and develop – which was why he had only been surprised and not skeptical at the news. Towards the end, Sasuke had changed so much that he really couldn't claim to know him.

But if his guesses about the connections were correct ….and from his own interactions with his brothers…. _Had Itachi let Sasuke kill him? _

A sick feeling grew in his stomach. He closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. A few more scattered thoughts rushed through his head, but he forcefully emptied his mind and sighed. He was making too many suppositions.

He was drawn out of his thoughts by Chouji shifting forward. "What's up?"

Chouji held out his snack bag to Kazuki as he leaned forward and pointed, "There's a kid painting the shops."

Kazuki dug out a chip, "Thanks. Wait, really?" He pushed himself forward. Sure enough, there was a familiar looking blonde in bright orange, dancing through the rooftops with bright colors trailing behind him in speckled splashes.

Kazuki sank back, recalling a distant promise.

_That loneliness…I don't want him to go through anything remotely similar to those things, ever again._

This…_this_ was something he could change.

-0-

Itachi trailed behind Sasuke as they headed towards the playground to pick up Kazuki. Looking around him, it seemed as if other older siblings and adults had the same idea. By the time he could see Kazuki, there were only a handful of children running around. Strangely enough, Sasuke wasn't with Kazuki, and was instead playing tag with a few girls. The roles in the game seemed to be reverse though, with Sasuke scampering away, but it had been awhile since Itachi had played those games. "Kazuki! Sasuke! Time to go home!"

While Sasuke immediately darted forwards, Kazuki was slower to react. Stepping backwards towards Itachi, he waved, "See you later Chouji! Naruto!" When the blond boy's smile dimmed, Kazuki added, "Naruto, I'll see you at the Academy!"

"Yeah!"

-0-

As they stepped into view of the compound, Itachi felt Sasuke start when a voice suddenly greeted them, "You're late. What were you doing? I've got something to tell you."

Stepping fully into view, their father continued, "Let's hurry back."

Soon enough, the three of them were kneeling in front of Fugaku. Kazuki struggled not to scowl. He would almost prefer his old mom's nagging to this evaluating silence. _Troublesome_.

Finally Fugaku smiled, "That's my boy. You've gotten this far in half a year since you've become a chuunin."

Kazuki saw Sasuke glance at Itachi from the corner of his eye.

"For tomorrow's special mission I've decided to come along." Fugaku paused, then spoke again in a lower voice, "If this mission is successful, your enlistment into ANBU will be official."

_ANBU? Already? _Kazuki managed to keep his face impassive and forced himself to relax his grip on his knees. He had been so careful watching Itachi's reactions, that he almost missed his father flicker his Sharingan, "Do you understand?"

Despite the tension, Itachi simply smiled in response, "Don't worry about it too much." He continued, "However…" He glanced at both him and Sasuke meaningfully, as if prompting them to speak. Kazuki gave Itachi a nonplussed look. _Was I supposed to say something? _

With a tremulous and hopeful smile, Sasuke began, "Erm Dad, for tomorrow's…"

_Oh right. The Academy. _Kazuki was pretty sure he had blocked himself from thinking about the subject. _Oops_.

"Our mission tomorrow will become a very important event for our clan," his father said with stern expression.

Sasuke lowered his head, bangs covering his expression.

"I guess I'll drop tomorrow's mission."

Kazuki snapped his head to the side to stare at Itachi.

Fugaku erupted, "What are you insane?! You know how crucial tomorrow is! What's going on with you?!"

With a calm, but serious, expression, Itachi replied, "I'm going to Sasuke's entrance ceremony into the ninja academy. The entrance ceremony usually requires one's relative to come along. You've also received the notice, Father." _Did he just smile?_

Fugaku looked stunned for a moment. Bowing his head, he stood up, "I understand. I'll go to the academy." Acting as if he had spoken the last word, their father exited the room with his back as stiff as at the start of the conversation.

Kazuki watched as Itachi reminded Sasuke to keep the wrist he had strained that morning cooled down. Sasuke's emotions were clearly mixed. _You'd expect him to be happier after what Itachi had just done._ He stood for a moment, watching the backs of his family recede down the hall and disappear around the corner.

Had he really been that unaware of Itachi's progress? How was Itachi already ready to be recruited by ANBU? Was he truly that skilled or were there political machinations going on? Judging by how easily his father had given in, Kazuki was inclined to guess that it was Itachi's skill. Otherwise, Fugaku would have been far more insistent.

Kazuki gazed at the shadow he cast down the hall and sighed. If the time came, if he wanted to have any hope of being able to do anything, he would need to start focusing on building his chakra stores.

He didn't understand why his chakra reserves were still so persistently low as an Uchiha, when Kakashi's comments had indicated that they should be otherwise. He had hoped that would change as he got older. But with Itachi advancing so quickly, he knew he needed to revise his timeline.

If he could regain a sufficient enough chakra supply, he was fairly certain he could retrieve some of his old skill. Although incomparable to the powerhouses back then, he still had been able to trap a bijuu for a few seconds. And with everything proceeding as fast as they were, he really needed that ability to stall, to give him that extra second to think.

Though at that moment, he wished his thoughts would just stop. _Our mission tomorrow will become a very important event for our clan_.

Because all he could think about …

_I guess I'll drop tomorrow's mission_

…was how well everything was fitting the hypothesis he had made that morning.

-0-

Kazuki jerked himself awake for the fifth time that morning. He was standing among the entering students in one of the rows towards the back – farther from the Hokage, but closer to his father. _What a pain. Why'd you want father to come anyway, Sasuke…?_

Fighting back another yawn, he dug his nails into his skin. He had stayed up the night before to modify his schedule based on his hypothesis that Danzo or Sarutobi had manipulated Itachi into killing the clan for the sake of a friend. Aside from continuing his work on the stasis pills, he had decided to focus on building greater village relations with the Uchiha. Theoretically, that would reduce or slow down the perception of any enmity from either side. With the number of heirs to major clan heads in his class, he was hoping that improving such relations could be accomplished through the help of his friends – once he had them.

Strangely, despite his exhaustion, his chakra levels had never felt higher. They were still nowhere close to the heights he held in his dreams, but they were still three times higher than usual.

Finally, the Hokage finished, "Everyone, congratulations on entering. From this day forth, please work hard to follow the shinobi way." Eager to leave the assembly, Kazuki turned to find his father. There, at the edge of the row, stood Fugaku – with his eyes closed. _Drat, I probably could have napped for a bit. _

Fugaku's eyes snapped open. Kazuki inwardly cringed. _Or not_. Actually, with his father's frown and crossed arms, Kazuki wouldn't be surprised if the man's attention was still stuck on Itachi's mission. Rolling his eyes, he turned to see Sasuke trying to hide a sad pout. _Guess he noticed. _He sighed and hung his head. _Jeez_, _this kid_.

With a smirk, he lunged forward and slung an arm around Sasuke's shoulders, "So, looks like we're going to be starting the Academy together. You better not raise father's expectations too high for me." Startled, Sasuke stumbled forward and shot him a confused look.

"You're going to surpass Itachi, right? Well, just don't drag me with you," Kazuki yawned again as he flapped a hand at Sasuke. He succeeded in coaxing a smile out of Sasuke. Before he could say anything else or look for his friends, he caught sight of his father approaching, "Oh shoot!" Quickly, he removed his arm from Sasuke's shoulders and straightened his shirt.

-0-

By the time they got home, Kazuki was ready to collapse from sheer exasperation instead of exhaustion. With father walking him home, Kazuki hadn't been able to escape to find Chouji or Naruto. Then, on the way back, they met Daikoku who just wouldn't stop praising Itachi. _No wonder Sasuke had a complex._

-0-

Naruto squinted at the boy in the front row as he listened to the whispers behind him.

"Hey, that's an Uchiha right?"

"Yea."

"He's probably really awesome eh?"

The boy didn't look like much to him. Plus, he had black hair like a … duck's butt. How anyone with duck butt hair could be cool was beyond him.

He frowned and glanced to the side. He had been excited that morning when Kazuki had still greeted him with a smile. _Except…_

He prodded the head lying on the table beside him. _Except… he was kind of boring_.

"Mmph. Is it break time yet? How annoying…" came a muffled voice. Eventually Kazuki's face emerged from the desk.

"Do you guys want some?"

Naruto grinned and grabbed a chip. _Well… Chouji was pretty cool_.

-0-

"Uchiha Kazuki and… Akimichi Chouji step up to the circle please."

From the corner of his eye, Kazuki watched Naruto start at his name.

"Umm…Sensei…" Kazuki returned his attention to Chouji, who seemed unusually distressed.

"What?"

"I don't really wanna beat up my friend."

He watched Iruka's attempt at encouragement, "That's not what we're doing. This is a traditional shinobi spar! Even the Hokage and his friends trained like this to help them grow strong."

On one hand, Kazuki knew that Chouji really needed to learn this lesson. On the other hand…

He turned and walked out of the circle.

On the other hand, it had taken Asuma months and several hundred ryou before Chouji even consented to a "spar". "Sensei, I'm fine with losing by ring out. Call the next pair."

He heard Iruka's aggravated sigh among the murmuring of the class. Following Iruka's instructions, he made the symbol of harmony with Chouji.

"Sorry, Kazuki."

"It's all good." He shrugged, "I know you hate this stuff, and I think it's troublesome anyway."

Once they cleared the ring and rejoined the rest of the class, Iruka called out, "Uhhh, next is Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto!"

Kazuki winced at the shrieks that erupted at Sasuke's name. Suddenly, he was glad that he had wrecked his image when he had been caught drooling on the desk in his sleep by Iruka. His attention was caught by Naruto's shout, "ALRIGHT! I WON'T LOSE THIS ONE!"

He didn't realize that the rivalry had started this early.

"LET'S ROCK, LOSER!"

He resisted the urge to slap his forehead. Sasuke wouldn't take that lying down.

"Naruto! Before the spar, you have to make the symbol of "combat"! It's the proper protocol!"

"WHO CARES ABOUT THAT? LEMME BEAT THIS LOSER UP ALREADY! TODAY'S THE DAY I BECOME POPULAR!"

He wasn't sure he could watch this. Sure enough, as he expected, he heard Sasuke proclaim, "So stupid. Fine. I'll take you down in one-"

Iruka intervened, "Stop, the both of you!" Despite his attempt to lecture both boys about basic sparring etiquette, it was clear that neither boy was listening. It didn't take long for Iruka to notice, "ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME, NARUTO?! THIS'S THE SECOND TIME I'VE TOLD YOU THIS!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah."

"SAY 'YES' AND SAY IT ONCE YOU LITTLE BRAT!"

Eventually, Iruka was able to coax both boys to form the sign to start the spar. Kazuki watched as, true to his word, Sasuke rushed in and knocked down Naruto with a single blow. Naturally, Naruto refused to concede (_when had he ever?)_ and began shouting insults. Iruka's attempts to get the two to reconcile were doomed with Naruto's hot temper, Sasuke's scornful comments, and the class's jeering remarks. Soon enough, Naruto leapt the fence and ran off.

_In some ways, he never really did change, did he? _ _In the meantime though, this was going to be a huge pain. _He huffed another sigh.

-0-

When Iruka finally called for a break, Kazuki broke away from Chouji, "Sasuke, what was up with the fight today?"

Sasuke huffed a short "What."

"There was no reason to take down Naruto like that."

"You're taking his side?" Sasuke said incredulously.

Kazuki pursed his lips, "You've had more training than he has. There was no reason to show off."

Sasuke's brows drew down, "He was the one who started with the insults! I didn't do anything to him!"

Frustrated, Kazuki replied, "That still doesn't give you the right to behave like that!"

Sasuke's nostrils flared, "What do you know? You gave up before you even fought."

"What. So you're just going to beat down anyone who insults you?"

Sasuke bristled, "No – !"

Before their argument could escalate, Iruka was calling the class together. When Iruka just resumed class as if Naruto's seat wasn't vacated, Kazuki was a little surprised. He was pretty sure that Iruka used to make an effort to chase down the class delinquents. _Those had been fun times_.

By the time class ended, Kazuki was still stumped. He was sure Naruto would avoid him after the stunt that Sasuke had pulled. Actually, he was uncertain how to approach any of his old friends. In the past, he had always just been dragged into things by Ino. The friendships just grew by themselves, which was something he had been hoping would happen naturally again. He hadn't really had time to contemplate how forming these friendships would be different as an Uchiha.

He frowned.

"What's wrong?"

"Hmm?"

Chouji was watching him with a worried expression. "I'm sorry I made you lose today's match."

Kazuki shook his head, "You didn't make me lose anything. Sparring would be too much of a hassle anyway. If anything, you did me a favor."

"A favor?"

"Yea. Anyway, I was just worried about Naruto."

"Oh." Chouji shifted his weight from side to side for a moment, clearly uncertain about what to say. When he came up with nothing, he defaulted to what had always worked for him in the past, "Chips?"

For a moment, Kazuki stared. _That…could work. _He smiled at Chouji, "Thanks!"

-0-

Mikoto focused on dabbing the rest of the ointment on her son's cheek. It was late in the afternoon and the house was mostly quiet with the exception of the conversation in the next room.

"…as expected from my child. Entering the ANBU squad, I knew I could trust you with my heart."

Mikoto frowned as she finished taping up the cuts that littered Sasuke's face. She wondered what her own mother would think of her now and regretted some of the words she had said as a young kunoichi. She never knew how hard it would be, raising children who were determined to become shinobi – exceptional ones at that. "Geez, you should rest your body properly. You don't have to push yourself too hard."

Sasuke stared at the door separating him from his father, "Brother… he only needed one year to graduate from the academy."

His competitiveness was as endearing as it was worrisome. She followed his gaze as she remembered making the decision to have a child during the war, "Times have changed since then…" _That child had never had the chance to be a child. _"…and also, that boy is special."

-0-

Sasuke panted with his hands on his knees as he stared at the targets in aggravation. His aim was only getting worse.

"You're here again?"

He stiffened at the voice. Straightening up, he wiped away the sweat that threatened to fall into his eyes, and prepared himself for another throw. He flinched when he felt his brother come up from behind him to grab his arm. Though he tried to shrug Kazuki off with a violent twist, his brother held tightly. Despite his struggles, Kazuki forced his body through the motions as he spoke, "Quit it. Try twisting your shoulder back when you throw. Like this."

This time, elbowing Kazuki brought more success, and Kazuki let go with a soft "Oomph."

"What do you know? You never even train."

He saw Kazuki settle into a low crouch to his side. He ignored Kazuki's glare.

"What do you see?"

Taken aback by Kazuki's forceful question, Sasuke mustered an incoherent "Huh?"

"In front of you, how many kunai are there?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes, "Ten." _Obviously_.

"Wrong. Eleven."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

Nodding to the side, Kazuki continued with a clipped voice, "Your vision is obscured by that boulder. My vision isn't. Similarly, I'm not the one throwing the kunai – you are. Just because I don't train as much as you, doesn't mean I'm blind. I've watched Itachi throw just as you have."

Sasuke felt his anger grow with Kazuki's lecture. _Who does he think he is? Fine. We'll see what he says after this. _This time, he followed Kazuki's instructions. To his dismay, he could already sense the difference that Kazuki's suggestion had made even before looking up to see his results.

"Great. You hit the target. Let's go."

Sasuke felt his anger drain away as guilt started to settle in his gut. He was unused to the coldness that Kazuki was directing at him. They never really had cause to fight before. Kazuki was too laid back for any of their skirmishes to really last. He didn't like what he was feeling.

He watched Kazuki dust off his pants. Despite everything, he grudgingly admitted to himself that Kazuki had still helped him.

He wasn't going to lose to him. Pursing his lips, he mumbled, "I'm sorry."

"Huh?"

"That kid today…"

"Ah. You mean Naruto?"

"Whatever. I won't do it again – ok?" He felt the tension drain away as Kazuki gave him a wry grin.

"Aaah. Yeah right." Sasuke felt his face lose all expression. "Soon as he insults you, you'll retaliate."

Sasuke fumed, "Well, what do you expect?"

Kazuki laughed, "Ehhh, just keep me out of it ok? He's still a friend…. It's kinda awkward for me. Deal?"

"Why are you even friends with _him_?"

"He's funny."

"He's an idiot."

_Whap!_ "Yea…"

"Itaii! What'd you hit me for then?"

"Uh, my hand slipped."

The two of them bickered all the way back, unaware of their audience.

-0-

Satisfied that Kazuki had convinced Sasuke to leave the grounds, Itachi resumed his trek towards the cliffs. By the time he arrived, Shisui was already there.

Without preamble, Shisui spoke, "Do you know about the meetings at the Nakano shrine?"

Itachi nodded, "Have you been going?"

"No, but I just received an invitation today. Have you?"

Itachi shook his head. "I know which room they are meeting in, but I suspect father is still holding out on his hopes for me to be a connection to the village."

For a moment, Shisui said nothing. Instead, Itachi felt himself being scrutinized and quirked a brow.

"How is ANBU going?"

Itachi shrugged, "Fine. My missions have mostly been successful. I think the Hokage wants to trust me – I'm fairly certain Danzo's been having me watched for that reason alone."

Shisui gave him an apologetic smile and ducked his head, "Sorry Itachi. I had hoped to help share your burden."

"It couldn't be helped." Itachi smirked suddenly, "You're too old, sempai."

Shisui laughed, "Brat. Well, if the councilors don't want to trust me, then I'll focus on the clan elders. They respected my dad, so hopefully I can use that. You just focus on the village councilors. We'll have to be careful not to be seen together."

Itachi nodded and turned to leave.

"Another thing," Itachi looked back. "I know you were joking, but I don't think you were wrong about the age thing." Shisui gazed down at the river rushing below, "When the Kyuubi struck, no one had any warning. No one knew why it was attacking. For it to appear as suddenly as it did and as focused on the village as it was… it was something like the legends of old." Shisui turned and faced Itachi, "And in the legends, only the Sharingan could control the Kyuubi."

Itachi frowned, "But I thought you were on the front lines."

"No, to protect the younger generation, most of the younger chuunin and genin were prevented from entering the fight."

"And they still think you could have been involved with the attack?"

Shisui shrugged, "I had the Sharingan and Danzou's a suspicious bastard. I wouldn't be surprised if he suspected anyone who had a Sharingan at that time to be involved."

-0-

**Age 6.** Kazuki was jolted awake by Naruto's elbow. However, tt seemed as if Naruto hadn't acted fast enough as Iruka still threw chalk at his head. _Oops_.

The last half of the year had passed in a sleepy blur. At night, he practiced his shadow manipulation skills. During the day, he half-heartedly attempted to distract Naruto from antagonizing Sasuke, but his efforts were often wasted once he fell asleep. He had forgotten how boring Academy lectures could be. Despite his nocturnal sleeping habits and shadow training, his chakra levels only grew. He had a sinking suspicion he knew the cause.

Naruto let out a loud groan. Kazuki returned his attention to Iruka. "Well then, I'll give you back your report cards for the first semester. Make sure to bring it back with your parent's signature." _Oh crap. _He didn't think his father would laugh if he told him that he had received a full score in every category. _30/30 right? _

That night, they presented their report cards. Sure enough, Sasuke was first in the class and in the school – 1/30 in every category. To his surprise, his father had seemed too preoccupied to lecture him for very long.

_Blablabla, uphold the Uchiha pride, blablabla._ Though, looking at his grades, it seemed like he was doing even worse than before. Scratching his head, he grimaced when he realized that he'd have to pull up his grades if he had any hope of graduating the Academy. He needed to figure out a better sleep schedule.

-0-

Naruto glanced at Chouji, who could only give him a shrug.

Despite his attempts to avoid Kazuki after fighting with his brother, the boy had simply cornered him the next day with a homemade lunchbox. The only explanation he was given was that the food was an apology for Sasuke's behavior. Initially, he had been wary. But when Kazuki never shunned him on the playground, he began to seek the Uchiha out more and more to play. He only wished Kazuki wouldn't sleep as much. Though, by the bags under Kazuki's eyes, Naruto guessed the kid kinda needed the sleep.

That was the only reason Naruto hadn't pranked Kazuki yet – though the temptation was growing stronger by the day.

Currently, Kazuki had stopped to stare at the forest to their right with what seemed to be an expression of longing on his face. _Well, if he wanted to go in…_

Naruto grinned. "Let's play hide and seek! You're the seeker!" He tagged Kazuki with a shove and grabbed Chouji's hand, "Come on Chouji!"

"Wait, guys!"

Naruto grinned at Chouji as they ran, "You go that way. I'll distract him." When Chouji nodded, he leapt forwards with a yell, and charged deeper into the forest.

"Naruto don't - ! Ah jeez, guys this is Nara land! We shouldn't be in here!"

Naruto grinned to himself as he scrambled up the tree. Kazuki would never think to look for him up the tree. When he painted the shops, no one had ever looked up. He snickered into his fist as he saw Kazuki disappear into the woods away from him. Besides, the forest was so huge, he doubted any Nara would find them to get them into trouble.

Despite his expectations, Kazuki came into view not five minutes later with Chouji in tow. Naruto frowned and closed his eyes.

"Just because you can't see me doesn't me I can't see you, you know."

Naruto huffed and opened his eyes. Kazuki was crouched on the forest floor, staring straight at him, chin propped up on hand.

"Awww, how'd you find us so quick?"

"I heard Chouji's snack bag. Also, your goggles reflected the sun. Now come on, only Naras are supposed to be on this land."

Naruto was about to scramble down when he heard branches crunch. Everyone froze. The sounds of crunching branches and rustling leaves grew louder.

Kazuki scrambled, "Shoot, Naruto get back up in the tree." He grabbed Chouji's snack bag and shoved Chouji forward, "Help Chouji up too."

Instead of listening, Naruto jumped down and pushed at Chouji's back, "Ehh? Let's run! They're gonna catch us if we stay."

"Naruto, that's the wrong way!"

Naruto paused, but before he could say anything, the rustling grew louder all around them. He backed up with Chouji. Pretty soon, he saw the head of a deer pop up.

"Whaaat? It's only a deer." But even as he said that, several more heads emerged from the thicket. They were surrounded. All of them had antlers, and some of them had started to lower their heads.

"When I say go," Kazuki began with a low voice, "Run back to the main road ok?" Some of the deer were tossing their heads and stamping their feet. They looked about ready to charge.

"But –" "Kazuki – "

"Guys, just trust me!"

The deer with the largest pair of antlers lowered his head.

"Go!"

Holding each other's hands, Naruto and Chouji ran. With fear chasing their heels, it took them a minute to realize that Kazuki hadn't followed them. Coming to a stop, they looked at each other. Naruto tightened his hold on Chouji's hand, "We have to go back."

Chouji gulped.

"Come on. We'll go quietly from the tree tops."

"My dad's friends with the Naras. We should probably – "

"No way, that'd take too long. Aren't you afraid something will happen to Kazuki?" He also didn't want Chouji's dad to meet him and take Chouji away.

Chouji visibly gathered himself. "Ok. Let's go."

By the time they found the spot they had left, they were shaking with nerves. For a moment, when he didn't see Kazuki, Naruto was afraid for the worst. But then, he noticed familiar black spikes.

Kazuki was crouching on the ground, facing the deer with the largest pair of antlers.

"KAZUKI!" The deer startled and raised its head to face him and Chouji.

Immediately, tendrils of shadows seemed to dance up the deer's body, "Dammit Naruto!"

"Kazuki, what?" Naruto began while Chouji started, "Kazuki, you know shadow techniques?"

Kazuki gritted his teeth and replied with a tight voice, "Yea. I'll explain everything in a sec. Just… stay quiet ok?"

They both nodded. Naruto watched worriedly as Kazuki stood and grabbed the deer's head so that their foreheads touched. Naruto tried to breathe as quietly as he could as Kazuki seemed to just freeze in that position for a long time. He had to stamp down his instinct to flinch when he heard a distant rustle and thud from the treetops. Gradually, Naruto noticed that the deer's flanks had stopped heaving.

Finally, just as Naruto was about ready to scream, Kazuki closed his eyes, and the shadows receded. Almost complacently, the deer backed away and disappeared into the woods. As soon as the deer had left, Kazuki collapsed to his knees, panting.

"Kazuki!" Naruto chorused with Chouji.

"Keep your voices down!" he hissed.

Chastised, Naruto apologized, "What was that?"

"Ah Chouji, here's your chip bag."

Naruto wanted to erupt with his questions, "Kazuuuki!"

"I used the Kagemane no Jutsu to freeze the deer." He glanced at Naruto's uncomprehending expression and sighed, "Basically, I used their shadows to hold them."

"Ehh… you can do that? Can you teach me?" Naruto asked as he tugged Kazuki up. When it seemed as if Kazuki was going to fall again, Naruto and Chouji each slung one of his arm over a shoulder.

As they stumbled back towards the main road, Kazuki managed, "Actually… can you keep my use of it, a secret?"

"Huh, why?"

This time, Chouji explained, "The shadow techniques are part of the Nara clan's secrets."

Clan secrets. Again. Something he would never have. Naruto pouted, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Kazuki panted, "Clan secrets are supposed to be difficult to learn and can usually only be used by members of that clan. Even if you were to learn it…unless it was a life or death emergency, it would be considered impolite to use it if you weren't part of the clan. The only reason I used it was to stop the deer from attacking us for trespassing."

"Oh." He looked at Kazuki, who was pale white. _He used it … to protect me?_

Chouji spoke up, "Kazuki… How do you know the Kagemane no Jutsu?"

For a moment, Naruto thought Kazuki wasn't going to answer.

"It was kind of an accident." Kazuki took a breath, "You guys have to promise to keep this a secret."

They nodded solemnly.

Slowly, as if the words were being forced out of him, Kazuki continued, "I don't want to get into trouble for knowing how to use shadow techniques, … especially since I … kinda learned it from my dreams."

"Dreams?" Naruto was a little jealous. He wished he had those dreams.

"Yea…" When he saw Kazuki's haunted expression, he changed his mind.

"Just, don't tell anyone ok?"

Despite his guilt at Kazuki's exhausted state, Naruto couldn't help the little bubble of happiness rising inside him. He had never had to guard someone's secret before.

-0-

Kakashi stood in front of the memorial stone, "Obito. Sorry it's been so long."

He tried to excuse himself, "I escaped the hospital to see you."

His bandaged fingers traced the etched strokes of the characters on the stone, "I'll be able to visit you more now. Apparently I've become too distinctive for ANBU thanks to your gift."

Dropping his arm to his side, he tried to think of something else to say, "I think I saw sensei's son. He seemed happy… I think. He was playing with a Nara."

"I'm sorry I didn't let you see him." He touched his headband, covering his Sharingan.

"I don't think I would be a good influence."

-0-

"We can't allow it anymore!" Itachi kept his face impassive as he knelt before the village councilors.

"Koharu, wait! Don't jump to conclusions."

"They call it revolution. But if their real intention is to take back political power, we'll have to treat them as rebels." _Shisui was right._

"However, Hiruzen, the Uchiha aren't going to stop. We must make our move right away to avoid confusion…. including the unknowing children."

Itachi kept his body still and stared at the ground in front of him. His fears were coming to pass.

"Don't say this in front of Itachi! Besides, if a civil war starts, it will be hard to fight against the Uchiha. We must think of a strategy."

"It's a race against time. We must act before they do anything. If we and our ANBU team up together, we can just make a surprise attack on them and end it right away." _No, they wouldn't be able to._

"The Uchiha used to be our comrades in arms. I want to use words and not power against them. I'll think of a strategy. Itachi, try to gain as much time as you can."

Itachi nodded and waited for his dismissal. As he made his way towards the exit, he heard the distinctive approach of Danzo's cane and turned around.

"The Third talked like that, but he will act if the leaf needs to be protected. That's the way he is. If that happens, even he, as the Hokage, will have to take drastic measures. Whether the war happens or not… once they've tried to make a coup d'etat, the Uchiha will necessarily be annihilated – including your unknowing little brothers." Had Danzo been watching his family? Did he know about his communications with Shisui?

"But by acting before it happens, they can still be saved." Danzo studied Itachi's expression intently as he continued, "If the coup happens, your younger brothers will see everything. They will see their whole clan be destroyed by shinobis of the Leaf and will unmistakably want to get revenge on the village." Itachi knew what the next words would be.

"And in that case, they will have to be killed too."

Itachi stared flatly at the old advisor, "Is this a threat?"

Danzo widened his eye, "No, I want you to choose. You can either stand on the Uchiha's side, participate in the coup d'etat, and be destroyed together with your clan… or stand on the Leaf's side, save your brothers before the coup happens, and help destroy the Uchiha clan. To protect the village, we must absolutely stop the coup before everything falls into chaos. And the only one that can do this job is a double agent, working for both the Uchiha and the Leaf – in other words… you, Itachi." Even though he had expected these words for weeks, Itachi was still irritated at the man's presumption.

"Itachi, it will be a hard mission for you. But in exchange for that, I can let your younger brothers live. I'm sure you too want to protect the village. Do you accept this mission?"

Itachi closed his eyes, ducked his head, and strode away without a word. He knew that while Danzo would take his silence for agreement, he would be under even more surveillance than before.

He needed to meet with Shisui.

* * *

**A/N Cont.:** Ok, just wow. You guys rock! As a reader, I totally understand the inertia behind reviewing (which is why I was totally expecting one word reviews). But from the author's point of view, reviews indicate the percentage of views that weren't accidental (or regretted) clicks. So, for those who reviewed/subscribed/favorited, thank you! It means a lot!

You can just skip this next paragraph. (It's just me fangirling my reviewers): Thanks so much for reviewing! I was expecting like one word reviews (like really, a "yes" was all I was hoping for), and instead I get these encouraging reviews with helpful tips! Thank you **#1 Guest** (Thank you! I was about ready to scrap away the other POVs because I was worried about choppiness), **ElectraSev5n**, **ITACHIROCKS** (thanks for the Japanese tip! – I think I fixed it), **#2 Guest** (Yes. That's all I'm saying haha), **AnonymousFern** (thanks for the tip!), **Silmr3**, **Orange222, Lady** (Thank you! I hope this chapter didn't disappoint).

You guys rock, I went out for a jog and came back ready to remove the story from …and saw that five reviews had been posted within an hour and none of them were flames. Quick thank you to 000BlOoDy BrIlLiAnT000 for being the first sign that this story doesn't completely stink XD.

Next chapter probably won't be as quick since I have some papers I really should be getting out. At the same time, I've finally gotten to the scenes that really inspired this story, so who knows. The only reason this chapter came out so quickly was cuz I got all excited from the reviews and subscription notices. I felt like that idiotic puppy that starts barking ecstatically cuz the doorbell rang. Regardless, I'm guessing an update by next week.

Let me know if any of the characters seem OOC?

Thanks for reading! Please leave a review? (Even if it's only like a letter or a random string of letters so I know that you've made it all the way through the end of the chapter? XD)


	3. Shattering

**A/N:** Bad news: I'm over 5k words… so the massacre's been moved again (probably to the fifth or sixth chapter). Good news: I'm aiming to get the chapter with the massacre out by next Monday since I _had_ _said_ it'd be in chapter two. (hah. Don't know what I was thinking). That's the plan anyway.

* * *

**Chapter Three**

**Shattered Dreams**

* * *

**Age 7**. "Here's your lunch. I packed extra onigiri for you again, so don't give everything to Chouji ok? And give this to Sasuke would you?"

Using both hands to accept the lunches, Kazuki nodded, "Thanks mother!" Quickly jamming his feet into his sandals, he rushed out the door, where Sasuke was waiting.

"Hurry up!"

Kazuki grumped, "Yeah, yeah. Here's your lunch." Handing over the package, Kazuki queried, "I thought you didn't like Naruto."

Sasuke refused to meet his gaze, "I don't."

"Why do you want to walk to school with us then?"

A wicked grin grew on Kazuki's face, and he sidled up close to Sasuke, "Didn't you used to walk with Ino?"

Sasuke jumped back, sputtering, "Since when?"

Kazuki tapped his chin, pretending to think, "Hmm – I thought I saw you walking home with her and a couple of girls the other day."

Sasuke huffed and picked up the pace. "They were following me," he mumbled.

Kazuki relented with a grin, "Well, I usually meet up with Chouji over there."

Sure enough, Sasuke could see Chouji waving under a utility pole. Kazuki jogged over, "Hey Chouji, Sasuke wanted to join us today." As Chouji greeted Sasuke, Kazuki looked around, "Where's Naruto?"

Chouji shrugged, "I think he's still skipping school."

"Che."

Kazuki shot Sasuke an exasperated glare. He was getting a little worried; he didn't really remember if Naruto had skipped school for as many days before.

Sasuke stomped ahead, "We're going to be late." With a sigh, Kazuki followed with Chouji close behind.

-0-

Iruka scanned the classroom, "Has anyone seen Naruto?"

In front of him, Hibachi spoke up eagerly, "Nope, didn't see him." Kazuki frowned. This felt vaguely familiar. He also didn't like the self-satisfied grin Hibachi was sporting. He and Naruto were always engaged in some form of prank war. Naruto also had the self-preservation instincts of a fly – somewhat like his brother. _Or brothers. _

_Seriously, who accepts an ANBU invitation when he's ten years old? Jeez. _He supposed he was still a _little_ bitter that his timeline had been cut short.

As Iruka continued to press the class, Kazuki pondered. Knowing Naruto's inclination for hell-raising, where was the worst place he could be?

Frowning, he suddenly remembered his father's complaints at dinner the night before. Apparently, there had been a jurisdictional dispute between the Uchiha police and a local chuunin team over reports of foreign ninjas in the back hills. _Shoot. _

The back hills were relatively close to the Academy. Given Naruto's luck and instincts, he wouldn't be surprised if Naruto was headed there at that moment. Watching Hibachi whisper and snicker maliciously, Kazuki decided to take a gamble and stood, "Iruka-sensei, Naruto's in the back hills."

Judging by the shocked looks on Hibachi's friends, his guess had been spot on. Turning around, the boy asked angrily, "What are you doing?"

He ignored Hibachi and watched worriedly as Iruka declared a study hall and rushed out the classroom. Vaguely, he could now remember the incident as the first time he had done something for Naruto. From what he could recall, Iruka had been able to safely retrieve Naruto. _Still…_

-0-

Naruto inched towards the nest. _FOODFOODFOODFOOD Eh? What's that? _Inside the nest, a kunai glinted in the sunlight. He picked it out. The kunai was shaped differently and had two prongs instead of just one. Shrugging he tucked it into his pocket. It was different than the others. _That should be good enough for baka Hibachi. _

Inching forward a little further, he grabbed one egg from the nest. _Hmm, would one egg be enough? _

He shook his head. _Might as well take the whole nest. _

Placing the egg back in the nest, he snagged the nest and cradled it against his chest. Once he was sure the eggs wouldn't spill out, he jumped off the tree. Grinning with glee, he turned around to see three shinobi watching him.

"AIEEEEE!" Startled, he chucked the nest of eggs at the shinobi. "WHO ARE YOU GUYS?!" he shouted and pointed wildly.

He took a step back at the sudden menace he sensed. "What did you take from the nest?" one of the shinobis demanded as another one checked the ground where the nest had fallen.

Eyes widening, he took another step back towards the bushes behind him. The third shinobi stepped forward, "Give it here!"

Eyes darting around, Naruto came to a decision.

"OIROKE NO JUTSU!" He blew a kiss at the strangers. However, instead of falling back like he expected, they introduced him to the sharp edge of a kodachi.

Dispersing the technique, he scrambled back. The trio laughed, "That won't work on us." Almost in sync, they ripped off their masks.

"YOU'RE ALL GIRLS?!" Naruto's eyes widened just as a hail of shuriken rained down. Hollow thunks rang through the air

"Kawamiri?"

Naruto gasped as quietly as he could and scrambled hastily the bushes. Thanks to playing with Kazuki and Chouji, he suspected his stealth and kawamiri skills had never been better. Still, hearing the shouts approach, that wouldn't mean anything if the enemy caught him. Hastily, he threw a few noisemakers behind him. He cursed; he had planned to surprise Kazuki with those. He bet the expression on Kazuki's face would have been priceless.

He sped up and crashed through an area he knew was rife with traps when he heard his voice being called. _Iruka?_

"Sensei!" he called out and skidded to a stop as Iruka landed in front of him.

"Naruto, hurry and return to the academy!"

Naruto growled, "I know!" But before he could say anything else, Iruka shoved him aside and leapt away. For a second, Naruto felt betrayed until he saw the shuriken littering the ground where he had just been standing. He looked up in time to see Iruka addressing the three women who had attacked him, "What are you outsiders doing sneaking around the Leaf Village?"

Instead of answering, the leader replied imperiously, "Who are you? Leave that kid with us and don't put up a fight!"

Getting up to his feet, Naruto stared fearfully at Iruka. Would the man leave him? He still remembered the man's cold stare from the night when the man had caught him in the midst of a prank.

"I'm in charge of this child. I can't do that," Iruka replied defiantly. He gestured at Naruto.

Stunned, Naruto obediently inched his way behind Iruka.

Beside the leader, the brunette sneered, "What? You're a teacher?" On the other side, the other shinobi chimed in with a dismissive drawl, "It must be tough having such a bad student. Because of that, you're going to die."

Naruto snarled, "YOU DUMB TURDS ooomph-" Holding Naruto's head against his chest, Iruka retaliated, "It's the bad ones that you get attached to. Besides, you won't be able to defeat me so easily." Despite Naruto's flailing, Iruka flung Naruto over his shoulder and threw down a smoke bomb.

Naruto gasped for breath as Iruka's bony shoulder dug into his rib cage. Behind him, he could see the angry kunoichi approach, "WATCH OUT!"

He closed his eyes and clung to Iruka's flack jacket at the sight of another incoming wave of shuriken. He heard an attacker scream, "DIE!", and felt Iruka swing around. There was the clash of metal, and then he heard Iruka's steadfast reply, "I will protect Naruto, no matter what it takes!" Naruto felt Iruka's arm tighten around his legs just before whipping around to kick the kunoichi away. _Iruka-sensei, why…?_

Naruto heard the kunoichi shout again and raised his head just in time to see another hail of shuriken. He tried to pound his fist on Iruka's back in warning but suddenly found himself tucked in Iruka's arms just as he heard an explosion pound out from behind him.

He felt them hit the ground and roll several times. Iruka grunted and unfolded himself from his protective curl around Naruto. Before Naruto could protest, Iruka had grabbed him by the stomach and was bounding forwards again.

From his position facing the back, Naruto could see that several shuriken had hit Iruka in the back and arms. Without meaning too, his felt his lips move. "Sensei…?"

For a moment, he thought Iruka wouldn't reply, but then Iruka started speaking in a tight voice. "…My parents... After they died, there was nobody to compliment or acknowledge me. I always acted like an idiot, just to get people's attention since I wasn't good at stuff like studying or doing homework. It was better than being nothing, so I kept acting like an idiot."

_He was… like me?_

Iruka's voice wavered, "… It was so painful. Naruto, you also must have been in a lot of pain. I'm sorry. If only I had done a better job, we wouldn't be out here like this."

Confused, Naruto asked, "Why… that night… why did you look at me like that?"

He heard Iruka haltingly answered, "You … remind me of them… You were born on the same night as they died. It wasn't your fault, I-" Iruka broke off as a masked man with silver hair came into view. He set Naruto down, "Kakashi?" Naruto turned around. _Another masked shinobi?! He looks weird… and creepy. _

"I heard the explosion. Go on, I've got this, other patrols will probably be headed this way."

Naruto saw Iruka give Kakashi an evaluative look before nodding, "Thank you! Be safe."

_Not again_. Without a word, Naruto once again found himself being hefted by the stomach, being toted through the forest. At least this time, he was facing forwards. "Iruuuukaaaa…" he complained.

"Just hold on."

Naruto groaned. Was it possible to get motion sickness from being carried like a sack of rice?

Soon enough, he could see the Academy. After he squirmed, Iruka set Naruto down. This time, the jostling caused the kunai Naruto had hidden away to fall out. Iruka picked it up and examined it. Naruto frowned, "Hey, that's mine!"

Without warning, Iruka hid the kunai and shouted, "YOU IDIOT!"

Naruto shrieked in surprise.

"You almost lost your life today!"

Chastened, Naruto mumbled, "That's true, but…" He felt Iruka staring at him.

"Hm? You're awfully quiet today."

Peeking up, Naruto replied, "That's because this is the first time you've yelled at me. I'm surprised."

"Oh… I see." Iruka grinned, "That's because I decided that I would be upfront with you. Starting tomorrow, I'm going to be strict with you!"

Naruto recalled Iruka throwing chalk at Kazuki and yelling at Chouji to put his snacks away. "Whaaaat?! That makes me want to go to the Academy even less…"

"Naruto… Do you have the Will of Fire in you?"

Naruto squinted at his teacher, who looked like he was still leaking blood everywhere. "Will of Fire? What's that?"

"It's the strong will to protect this village. If you have it, you can become as strong as Lord Hokage."

"The Hokage? Is the Hokage that strong?"

"Yeah. He's not just strong, either." Iruka looked back toward the treeline, "Everyone in the village respects the Hokage. He's our leader. The Fourth Hokage was a hero who protected the village from the demon fox."

"A hero?" Despite Kazuki's apparent apathy and Chouji's obsession with food, he sometimes wondered if they ever regretted their decision to hang out with him. If he was a hero, he could get more kids to play with them. No food stand would ever turn them away just because he was there.

"Alright, I've made up my mind! I'm going to become a Hokage who's stronger than the Fourth! I'm going to make everyone acknowledge my strength!"

Iruka smiled and looked as if he was about to say something when he looked up. "Kazuki, Chouji, shouldn't you be in study hall right now?"

Naruto turned around to see Kazuki and Chouji jogging up. Aside from the deer incident, Naruto had never seen Kazuki so disturbed, "Sensei, shouldn't you be seeing a medic right now?" He returned his attention to Iruka's appearance. _I guess Iruka-sensei does look pretty bad_.

Iruka winced and nodded. "It's not as bad as it looks. Tell you what, if you guys take Naruto back with you, I'll go to the hospital."

Chouji nodded quickly with wide eyes while Kazuki frowned, eyes fixated on Iruka's cuts and bruised face.

-0-

"What! You should know well what kind of day tomorrow is right?" Sasuke stirred at the muffled shout. Curious, he crept out of his bed and down the hall.

"You don't understand where your position is." Stopping in front of the door, Sasuke peered through a crack. He could see that his Itachi was facing away from him, towards his parents, who were also in seiza. His father seemed upset with his arms crossed, while his mother had her hands in her lap. They were all sitting in the dark. _When did nii-san get back?_

"Tomorrow I have a mission to do." Sasuke frowned. _Another one?_

"What mission?" his father interrogated.

"I can't say. It's an absolutely secret mission."

Sasuke saw his mother shoot his father a concerned look that was ignored, "Itachi, you're the backbone that connects this family to the village. You have to be a useful connection. You understand that right?"

"Yes."

His father huffed, "Impress them well and then come to tomorrow's meeting"

"Sasuke, go to the bathroom and quickly go to sleep" His parents looked surprised.

Guiltilly, he slid open the door, "Oo, okay."

His father's voice followed him as he left, "Loitering around this late at night. Hurry up and sleep!"

-0-

"Shisui, I know we haven't spoken in a while, but we can't stay long," Itachi greeted as he joined his friend on the cliff overlooking the Naka River, "I'm expected at the clan meeting tonight." To his consternation, Shisui gave no indication he had heard Itachi's words. Itachi began to feel uneasy.

Since they were both under heavy scrutiny, face to face encounters for them were rare. It was unlike Shisui to dawdle. Studying Shisui's from the back, Itachi was disturbed by lack of tension in Shisui's frame.

Still facing away from Itachi, Shisui finally spoke, "There is no way to stop the Uchiha's coup d'etat anymore. A civil war will erupt in the leaf, and other countries won't hesitate to take the opportunity to attack. It will turn into a war." Shisui turned slightly, revealing a closed right eye with flakes of blood trailing down his cheek.

Itachi's brows drew together as he stared with concern. From the color of the blood, the injury looked at least several days old. It was unlike Shisui to be so careless as to leave an injury unattended.

"When I tried to stop the coup d'etat by using Kotoamatsukami, Danzou stole my right eye. He didn't trust me."

Itachi recalled Danzou's bandaged face; the right half of his face had been bandaged*. Was there a connection? Had Danzou been making preparations for war even before his report had been given? Had they ever had a chance?

Itachi watched in horror as Shisui raised his hand to his remaining eye, "I tried to protect the village my own way, but he'll probably try to get my left eye as well. I'll give it to you before that happens." Itachi refused to look away.

Without a sound of discomfort, Shisui turned to fully face Itachi, outstretching a bloody fist. His eyes were now closed. Blood stained both sides of his face. "…You're my best friend, the only one I can ask this."

_No, not you too. _

"Please protect the village – and the Uchiha name."

Itachi stared at Shisui's smile. Part of him felt betrayed. Protecting the clan and village had been a personal mission that had led him to Shisui – his mentor, friend, and brother. He supposed some part of him had expected that they would finish the mission together.

Shisui opened his fist. The blood on his fingers darkened to black. Inky stains jumped and hovered above the open palm, swirling together to morph into a crow, which hopped onto Itachi's shoulder. From the corner of his eye, Itachi could see Shisui's sharingan spinning in place of the crow's eye.

"Be wary of Danzo. He was too prepared for mine to be the first sharingan he stole. From the bandages he's added, I wouldn't be surprised if he was preparing himself for more additions."

Itachi swallowed his disbelief. He was surprised his voice held no inflection when he answered Shisui, "I will."

Despite that, it was almost as if Shisui could still see the frown on Itachi's face, "I'm sorry. I had meant to help shoulder some of your burden, and instead, I added to it."

Itachi shook his head in denial, but Shisui continued, "Without my eyes, I will have to disappear tonight, before someone notices."

Shoving his emotions to the side, Itachi offered, "I can– "

"No. You'll be doing enough as it is." Shisui rejected, "I'll take care of everything on my end." He tapped his nose with his right index finger. "Don't worry about me."

_I don't understand_.

"Go."

Itachi bowed, "Ki o tsukete (Be careful)." Without a backwards look, he left. Judging by the darkening sky, he wasn't going to make the meeting. It'd be for the best anyway.

Shisui had more plans that he hadn't disclosed. Itachi was almost sure of it. But this time, he wasn't sure that he'd be able to follow Shisui's intentions beyond face value. They had worked together for years using fewer words than most because of their ability to read and predict one another's intentions. This came in especially useful when Itachi became a double agent.

This time, though, Itachi wasn't sure how he could support Shisui's next plans when he had no idea what they could be, especially since Shisui was now missing both of his eyes.

-0-

The next day, Itachi woke up late. After breakfast, he joined Sasuke on the steps overlooking the courtyard.

"Dad's always going on about you all the time."

He smiled at the jealousy in his brother's voice. Tilting his head back, he asked playfully, "Am I …unpleasant?"

He sensed his brother tense. His brother was just too easy to tease. If the clan didn't stop, he would have to use that for Sasuke's sake. He hated himself for that thought, "That's not so bad. Shinobi usually live as hated people, because they're said to be a problem."

Sasuke immediately protested, "Such… such a way…"

_Poor boy_. He laughed, "Heh. To be top-notch is something to really think about." He heard Kazuki approach behind them and continued thoughtfully, "To have strength, means you become isolated and arrogant."

"Although at first, you only sought for what you had dreamed for…" He remembered when he and Shisui had dreamed of peace, of preventing a fourth world war with their own power.

He wanted to scoff at his former self.

If he was given the order, if he could save his brothers, he would still need to save the clan's name. He thought of Sasuke, who always sought to surpass him, to find his own measure, "Well… we're just unique siblings. In order to overcome your barriers, you and I have to continue living together."

He smiled at Sasuke as he thought of his brother's perpetual pursuit of him. This pursuit could easily be changed to a different nature, "Even if it means hating each other. That's what being an elder brother means."

"That's bull crap."

Itachi looked back with surprise to see Kazuki's storming off. It was rare to see Kazuki truly upset by anything. However, before he could follow, the main door slammed open, "IS ITACHI HERE? COME OUT NOW! WE NEED TO TALK."

He walked to the main door to find himself confronted with three familiar clan members: Yashiro, Tekka, and Inabi. Had his attendance at last night's meeting been a test? The three all looked enraged. Measuredly, he asked, "What is it?"

Inabi growled, "We had two men missing at last night's meeting. Why did you not come?" _Did Shisui also skip_? _Had he needed serious treatment for his injuries?_

Itachi kept silent, certain there was more. The men looked as if they were waiting for Itachi to incriminate himself.

Inabi glared through his black bangs, "I can understand that you've been occupied with various missions since you joined ANBU. Your father also told us that, and he's looking over you. However…"

"…we have no intent of treating you any differently," Yashiro finished.

Itachi sensed Sasuke watching the proceedings from behind him. _He should be kept out of this. _To appease them, Itachi replied deferentially, "I understand. I'll be more careful from now on. Please leave."

As they turned to leave, Yashiro paused, "Yeah, but before we do. There's one more thing you need to answer."

He waited for them to cut to the chase.

"It's regarding the suicide by drowning in the Naka River last night … of Uchiha Shisui."

_Suicide?_ Itachi narrowed his eyes.

Inabi took over the conversation, "The other man that did not arrive last night was Shisui. I thought that you considered Shisui as a true brother."

Itachi wished they would leave. He needed to confirm this, he … they were studying his face as if he was a mouse in a lab. He needed to answer. "I see…," he managed. "I haven't met with him recently. That is sad to hear."

Inabi pressed, "…so, we, the police force, have decided to investigate this incident fully."

Irritation prickled the edges of his detachment, "An investigation?"

Yashiro rummaged in his bag and held out a folded piece of paper, "This is Shisui's suicide note. We already finished the handwriting analysis. It's no doubt his writing."

Itachi shoved away his impatience at his visitors' roundabout manner, "If it's suicide, what's left to investigate?"

Inabi stared intently at him, "For those who can use the sharingan, it's quite easy to forge one's handwriting."

Itachi reached for the paper slip as Yashiro added unnecessarily, "It's written on this little piece of paper. The following is his suicide note." He read the note.

**I'm tired of the duties. There is no future for Uchiha and for me. I cannot walk out the 'path' any further. **

_The path… _

That wording… the note was real? It wasn't a test of his allegiances?

_Was this what you meant when you said you'd take care of everything? _

Shisui really had left him.

He felt the warmth in his body bleed away.

All the times others looked at him and only saw the potential for their ambitions, he had done the same with Shisui. He had read too much into Shisui's last words to him and now he was gone.

_Ki o tsukete. _Had those really been his last words to Shisui?

Yashiro continued to talk, "He was feared as Shisui of the Mirage and one of the most talented Uchiha. He was someone who'd do any mission for the clan." _You never knew him._

Inabi added suggestively while staring at Itachi, "I doubt a man like him would leave something like this behind and die." He breathed. _Inhale._

_Exhale._

_Shisui, this is what we sought to protect? _Their heavy handedness disgusted him. _Inhale. _Finally, he spoke, releasing a hint of his impatience, "It's not wise to judge others by your preconceptions and their appearances." _As I have done._

Undeterred, Inabi replied, "I'm going to leave that will to you. Take that to ANBU and ask that they investigate as well."

Had that been a request? _Exhale_. Itachi studied their expressions for a moment, "Understood."

They turn around to leave, but Yashiro paused, "I certainly hope there will be other evidence."

_Inhale. _

Tekka replied with a raised voice, "We, the police force, have other connections to the ANBU as well. If you try to hide anything, we'll know right away."

Itachi stared at the ground. _Exhale._

"Why don't you be more direct?" He activated his sharingan and felt its familiar burn. Raising his head, he was distantly aware of the three pairs of sharingan that met his challenge, "So, you are suspicious of me?"

"Yes, Brat," Inabi spat as Yashiro threatened, "Listen, Itachi. If you betray the clan, you won't go unpunished." _They've had their doubts._

_Shisui… shall we confirm them? _

He _moved._

Barefoot, he straightened from his attacking slouch. He stood at the center of the men, who he had scattered into the street. As they groaned from where they lay, he spoke, "As I've said just now, don't judge others simply by your preconceptions and judgments of their appearance."

_Shisui… _

"You assumed that I have patience."

… _did we have too much patience for them?_

"The clan, the clan. You all fail to measure your own capacity and to see the depth of my capacity. As a result you lie beaten here."

Shaking, Yashiro managed to sit up, "Shisui was told to keep an eye on you. Within half a year of your entrance into ANBU, your actions and speech were getting stranger than ever. What exactly are you thinking?!"

_Shisui gave his eye for you. _

_For me._

Danzou hadn't started his preparations too early. They'd been too late.

His disgust spilled over, "You hold onto the organization, your clan, your name." _This pride…_

"These things limit us and limit our capacities. These things deserve to be shunned. It is foolish to fear what we've yet to see and know!"_ …Shisui, was peace only a dream?_

"Stop Itachi!"

His father, when had he arrived?

He didn't want to see him.

"Stop it already, what in the world is wrong?" He could feel his father study the situation, "Itachi, you've been acting strange lately."

_You as well, father? _"Nothing's strange. I'm just carrying out my duty." _…for the village, I must…_

"Then, why did you not come last night."

Why was it always about the clan? "…In order to reach the height…"

His father didn't understand. "The what?"

He knew that now. With detached antipathy, he flung a kunai into the center of one of the decorative clan symbols adorning on the compound walls. "…of my capacity…"

_Shisui. I see now. That note was meant for me to fold. _

_Very well._

_I fold. _The vitriol spewed out as he watched the men recover, "…I've lost all hope for this pathetic clan. You forget what is most important to you because you cling to something small like your clan. True change cannot be made if it is bound by laws and limitations, predications and imagination."

His father admonished him and helped Yashiro to his feet, "What arrogance! Enough already! If you continue this nonsense, we will have to take you to jail."

His father stood, facing him with the other men in a unified front, "So what now?"

To his father's right, Inabi growled, "We can't put up with you anymore! Captain, please order an arrest."

"STOP, BROTHER!"

Itachi flinched.

_Sasuke_.

He had forgotten his brother was watching. The realization jarred him into the present, cracking the detachment that had frozen him over.

He dropped to his knees, released his sharingan, and bowed deeply, "It is not me who has killed Shisui. But for the words I have spoken, I am deeply sorry." _I'm sorry you saw this Sasuke._

From above his bowed position, he could hear his father excuse him, "Lately, he has been busy with missions from the ANBU and has been worn out."

_And I'm sorry you will have to see much worse. _

"Captain!" protested Inabi with a bitter note in his voice.

"The ANBU is a battalion under the Hokage's direct authority. Even we, police, cannot arrest them without an official order. Besides, I will look over my son with full responsibility. Please," entreated Fugaku. The tense silence grew as the visitors stared at Fugaku.

_Please protect the village – and the Uchiha name. _

Inabi grudgingly relented. "Understood sir."

_Shisui._

"Itachi, let's go back inside."

_I'll complete your final mission._

-0-

There had been no underlying message behind Shisui's words that day. The Uchiha coup d'etat was happening and Danzou would move, with or without him.

He dropped another kunai into the pile of sharpened weapons. After the morning's confrontation, his father had ordered him out of the house with the task of sharpening the kunai in the armory. The repetitive motions of the task helped to drop him into the mindset he needed for ANBU missions.

The key to the whole operation relied on preserving the Uchiha's reputation. That was most likely the reason Danzou had approached him. It was in everyone's best interest. News of the Uchiha seeking revolution would have almost the same destabilizing effects as an actual revolution.

The cleanest solution was to have a member of the clan deal the eradicating move. People would speculate, but suspicions would be focused on the internal conflicts of the Uchiha instead of the external.

Everything – every hint, every clue, every nuance – had to fall on him. Only he could be suspected of acting against his clan

Finished with the armory, he headed toward the training grounds. He needed more time to gather his thoughts and prepare his next steps. He would have to build a persona strong enough that no reproach could fall on his clan. Once he was home, there would be no respite.

He gazed at the trees lining both sides of the path. Once he was done, there could be no return. He could feel himself closing himself. Crystal by crystal, the ice cracked by Sasuke was repairing itself. There could be no room for error. _No room for emotion_.

Exterminating his whole clan without outside detection meant every single member of the clan would need to be located. With civilians involved, the attack had to be on compound grounds. The remote location worked in his favor, but he would have to coordinate with Danzou to ensure that there would be no surprise visits from friends outside the clan. No missions could be assigned to the few Uchiha shinobi outside of the police force either.

They hadn't received many missions outside of the village lately anyway.

The civilians for the most part wouldn't be an issue as long as he attacked around dinner time. The police force would be more difficult to gather. However, as talks of revolution had grown, the clan elders had ordered police patrols to be drawn closer to the compound, in hopes that their presence would be missed by the village– and so properly appreciated. If he waited, he was certain that the patrols would be fully withdrawn. After all, the clan would need a rested fighting force for a revolution.

He rubbed his eyes. As clan head, he had access to the clan registers. He would need those lists to personally confirm the whole clan had been herded into the compound confines on the day of the attack. However, he knew how long those lists were.

He felt the sting in his eyes grow into a dull throbbing. He would most likely have an hour, maybe two. No matter how fast he moved, he would only be able to cover a fourth of the grounds – a third if he pushed himself and a half if he was reckless.

He would need help. He needed someone who could replicate the Uchiha fighting styles and was skilled enough to leave no trace of their presence behind.

But the help had to be familiar with Uchiha attacks. The style had to be distinctive. Otherwise, ANBU investigations would destroy all of his efforts.

He also needed to consider the twins. Mother had often complained about the two being late for dinner. Apparently, he and his father had set a bad example. If he carried out the attack in the early evening, the two would perhaps avoid the worst of the sights. But there would be no way of sparing them the horror of seeing everyone dead. There just wasn't enough time.

Perhaps it would be better that way. He still remembered the way the blood had cooled beneath his knees that summer day – months before the war had ended. Those sights had taught him about the necessity of peace and the duties of a shinobi.

Those concepts had been necessary for his survival and now for his brothers'. He remembered the promise he made the night he first met his brothers. _I'll protect the both of you. No matter what. _

The two would be lost after the attack. He would be ripping everything they had ever known from them. Both would need time to recover- time they didn't have. Public interest and pity would protect the boys for several years after the attack. However, as orphans of a clan with a famous bloodline limit, they would be susceptible to power-hungry predators like Danzou. The Hokage would do his best – especially if he made it his last request. However, the Hokage wasn't omniscient. The boys needed to be able to protect themselves. They would need to push themselves.

Sasuke would be easy to guide. The boy had always been at his heels. It would only take a nudge from him to turn that competitive chase into a chase for vengeance. Nausea erupted so quickly that he abruptly found himself coughing up bile next to a tree.

He must have forgotten to eat. Kicking up dirt to hide the mess, he made his way across a giant oak that had fallen across a small stream. He sat down and let both of his legs hang over the side of the trunk. Tilting his head up he could see that the sky was just beginning to change colors. He was able to make out a few wisps of clouds, drifting lazily by.

Kazuki.

Barking. He turned his head to the left when he saw the object of his thoughts appear. What was he doing here?

"Thanks Kiba! I'll see you at the Academy!"

He watched as Kazuki made his way to the edge of the bank, "Kazuki, were you planning to train?"

Kazuki grunted as he climbed up the tree trunk with an annoyed expression, "Hell no." Finally perched on the trunk, he tossed a tied piece of cloth at Itachi, "Here."

As Kazuki carefully made his way across the fallen tree, Itachi untied the cloth. _My pillowcase_?

With a thump, Kazuki sat down beside him, "Yea, I went into your room. I needed something with your scent." He barely covered a yawn before continuing with an unconvincing apology, "Sorry."

He managed a smile, "What are you doing here?"

Blinking away tears, Kazuki mumbled, "Oh right, here." He pawed at his vest pocket and held out a bundle.

Itachi took the bundle and unwrapped it. Inside were leaf fronds wrapped around what appeared to be misshapen onigiri.

"I made it, so be careful."

Itachi stared at the food.

"Jeez relax, I was joking. Mother made it – I just squished it on the way here." Kazuki paused. "You ok? Your eyes look a little irritated."

Truth be told, they were paining him a little bit more than usual. The pain hadn't left since that morning and he suspected he knew the reason why. He wondered if Shisui had hoped to give him another 'gift' with his suicide. He nodded, "I'm fine. Just overused my sharingan during training."

To his surprise, Kazuki didn't look assuaged by his attempt at a reassuring smile, "Sasuke told me what happened." Itachi looked down and studied the trickling stream below.

"Sorry about your friend. Those guys were dickless asses."

Startled, Itachi laughed. This couldn't happen. Despite himself, he asked "Where'd you learn those words?"

Kazuki shrugged, "Naruto."

Wasn't that the Kyuubi boy? He recalled Danzou's complaints. So this was why the boy had been lingering around the Uchiha compound.

"You too?"

He turned to see Kazuki studying him with some amounts of surprise and dismay.

He gave Kazuki a questioning look. Kazuki frowned. Itachi returned the boy's scrutiny.

With the exception of that month when the boy had been hospitalized, Kazuki had always been much easier to look after. Unlike Sasuke, who he often had to restrain or distract with silly tasks, Kazuki had usually been sleeping- or mumbling complaints. Occasionally, he would surprise Itachi with flashes of insight, but it had been awhile since he had interacted with Kazuki.

Kazuki sighed and leaned his head back, "Did you know? Stores tend to close early when Chouji and I hang out with Naruto."

Stretching, he kept his tone conversational as he continued, "The villagers and many of shinobi adults aren't exactly subtle." He returned his gaze to Itachi and smiled wryly, "Father wasn't really happy about me hanging out with Naruto either, but you've kept him too distracted for him to notice – so thanks."

Itachi kept his face expressionless.

"The thing about Naruto is… he hasn't really done anything – I asked. You'd think he'd be related to a criminal or something. Except, I remember the history lessons Dad used to give us. I had almost forgotten, but Naruto has the same last name as the Shodaime's wife – Mito Uzumaki. And this is where it gets to be a pain. According to the legends, she was a vessel for the Kyuubi. The same Kyuubi who died on Naruto's birthday."

Even though the Third's law could arguably be said not to be applicable for Kazuki, Itachi noted that, with his careful wording, Kazuki technically wouldn't have broken the edict anyway.

Despite his suspicions, Itachi was still a little startled at the connections Kazuki had been able to make. He wasn't sure whether or not to be dismayed or relieved. This kind of thinking would only attract attention, but it would also be the boy's greatest weapon. Additionally, the strength of the weapon didn't matter if the user didn't have the constitution to use it, and Kazuki had always tired far too easily – especially for an Uchiha.

"I know you were too young to fight against the Kyuubi, so what do you have against Naruto?"

Itachi noted the apprehension in Kazuki's voice. He was surprised that Kazuki, who had always hated confrontation, was making this effort. Come to think of it, the boy had always risked Sasuke's temper to adjust Sasuke's stances.

There was something here he could...use.

But first, he needed to reply. He couldn't exactly tell Kazuki about how the Uchiha were suspected of controlling the Kyuubi, "I have nothing against the boy, but I've seen his… art. I was just thinking of father's reaction to you associating with a troublemaker."

"Oh." Kazuki winced. "Sorry about that then. Anyway," Kazuki peered at him, "you sure you ok?"

Itachi gave him a faint smile, "Yeah. Go on, head on back. I'll be fine."

Kazuki pursed his lips and gave him a doubtful look. Itachi waved his hand in a shooing motion.

Kazuki rolled his eyes, stood up, and sauntered away.

He had found it.

Sasuke was competitive, while Kazuki was loyal.

Sasuke could be jealous, while Kazuki could be defensive.

Sasuke would attack to avenge the clan, while Kazuki would attack to protect Sasuke.

He would kill the clan and they would kill him. He smiled absently as the last of the cracks disappeared.

_Thank you Kazuki. _

-0-

Kazuki watched the sky fade into an angry red as the sun set over the treetops.

Dinner had been a tense affair. Both of his parents had been distracted and his father had often stared off into space with a disturbed expression. When he had asked, Sasuke quietly told him about Itachi's odd behavior that morning that he had missed.

Before he could realize the potential folly of his actions, he had already convinced Kiba to help him find Itachi. As much as he tried to deny it, he knew he had become attached to his oldest brother.

He suspected he had caught Itachi at a vulnerable moment, but it hadn't been too difficult to read certain things from the boy.

_Even if it means hating each other. That's what being an elder brother means._

He had seen that expression before, on the faces of the other members of the Rookie 9 as they came to the decision to take out Sasuke. It was an expression of resolve to act on an unpopular decision.

His time was running out. He had stormed off that morning, angry at himself for missing the signs. Angry and scared, because he didn't know what he was doing. He wasn't sure if he was making things worse. He had already made things worse with Iruka and Naruto; Iruka had never returned covered in blood in his memories.

He found himself missing the guidance of his old man as he left the training grounds.

He sighed. There was no way to back out of this troublesome situation. There was no way around it. He went off the path and crouched with his back against a tree.

He spread his fingers, as if grasping a large object, and held his fingertips against one another with his thumbs on top. Taking a deep breath, he thought of what he hadn't wanted to consider.

If an order to kill had been given, he would need to step up all of his preparations. With the exception of the stasis pills, none of his plans were at the stage for execution. His top priority would have to be to stall, to buy more time for the rest of his plans. That meant he needed to push for the Akimichi-Uchiha festival he had been joking with Chouji about. Planning the festival could also draw more clan members out of the compound – or more Akimichi members into the compound.

He knew he was taking a risk, but it was the most feasible plan he had at this stage.

Listening to the rumors and watching his clan members train, he had a creeping suspicion that his earlier plans of mitigation were going to be obsolete. Considering how often Itachi wasn't at home, Kazuki was certain that Itachi's ANBU experience was extensive. If Itachi struck, it would be decisive. There would be little chance for the stasis pills to be used.

His only option was to stall. If even his old man had believed that one teenager took down an entire clan, then Itachi would need a relatively large window of time. He would have to ensure that window of time never appeared. If he could improve Uchiha-village relations during that time, then perhaps he could prevent the massacre.

* * *

**A/N Cont:** Special thanks again to my reviewers: **Juliedoo**, **lugialegend233, Almost Ninja, Lily Umbra (x2), #3 Guest** (Thanks for reviewing!), **#1 Guest** (Thanks for your second review! I'm glad you came back! I'm so happy you're enjoying it so far. Yea… the last chapter definitely ended up being much longer than I had anticipated, haha ^^;;), **#4 Guest** (Haha thanks!), **AnonymousFern** (Thanks for coming back! Glad they're not OOC yet XD Thanks for your encouragement!), **ITACHIROCKS **(Yay, glad you're back. From your s/n, I hope you liked this chapter! Thanks for all of your encouragement!), **Uzushiogakure9** (finally! Hahaha, I was wondering when someone would do that. I'm glad you had more than just gibberish to say though and definitely relieved that no one seemed OOC. Yea.. Shisui's a bit tricky, I'm basically guessing what his character might have been like based off of how Itachi acted before the massacre), **#5 Guest** (Thank you! I was about ready to say F it cuz I was having some trouble figuring out the last two scenes when I saw your review), **#6 Guest** (Thanks! You totally helped my plot bunnies XD), **anonymous** (oh thank goodness, I hope they stayed IC in this chapter. Thank you for your review!), **Gyuchin** (Thanks! I needed that last push for this chapter!) .

Without your encouragement, this chapter wouldn't have been posted. Seriously. Writing this chapter was fun but hard. ...and I really should have been working on other things. :shifty eyes:

Other comments:

*Lily Umbra was the one who reminded me that Itachi probably would have made the connection between Shisui's right eye and Danzou's bandaged eye.

I didn't realize until I wrote this chapter, but Itachi kinda followed in Shisui's footsteps: leaving a crap ton of problems for the next generation and dying with their younger brother (of sorts) being the last thing that they saw. I'm not saying that they didn't try their best or that their efforts weren't amazing, but still. I hope this Itachi was in character for this chapter. Keeping track of what everyone knows, what they are hiding, and what they are faking has been tricky. I hope they came out right...

As always, please review! Haha, I'm actually surprised no one has left a one letter review yet. I'm not a fast writer by any means since I nitpick at my word choice. It's the reviews and subscription/favorite alerts in my inbox that keep me motivated (even when I really should be working on other things…) XD  
Thank you guys! Really.


	4. Lengthening Shadows

**A/N:** So my plot bunnies were like, "LET'S NOM ON SHIKA'S SCENES WITH GAARA OR KAKASHIORGAARAGAARAGAARA," and I'm like, "guys… we still have stuff to flesh out here…."

This chapter's for my reviewers and everyone who favorite/alerted this story. The chapter wouldn't have been here without you guys. I'm not kidding.

* * *

**Chapter Four**

**Lengthening Shadows**

* * *

Under the shadows cast by the morning sun, Itachi set out for the Naka shrine. After his outburst, he doubted the clan still met there, which made it the ideal place for him to plan – especially since he needed access to the stone monument.

During his last visit with Danzou, through discussing the necessary arrangements in ROOT patrols for the night of the massacre, he had been able to confirm his suspicions that Danzou didn't have an Uchiha ROOT member – or any member capable of carrying out the nuances needed for the attack.

From that observation, he suspected that Danzou expected him to fail.

The timing of the operation was going to have to be ridiculously precise to avoid any suspicions arising after the fact. The Hokage could only do so much, which meant half an hour was the largest window he could reliably operate under. No matter how much of a genius he was, it was still one person against 579 clan members. If he considered the use of Kage Buunshins and used the extremely conservative estimate of 15 minutes to cover and search the entire compound, that meant a rough average of 39 kills per minute, approximately three kills every two seconds.

On paper, those numbers were difficult, but not impossible. Even factoring in the presence of Uchiha jounin, he would have the advantage of both surprise and the ability to focus on the attack, while his opponents would be distracted protecting civilians and one another. The numbers became unrealistic when he considered the showmanship that would have to be involved.

As far as anyone was concerned, he had no logical reason to kill his clan. The only explanation for his motive would have to be drawn from witness statements and the physical evidence left from the attack. The rampant speculation, guaranteed to run after such senseless killing, would seize upon any inconsistencies present in the evidence. If he wasn't careful, there was a chance he would escape the blame.

At first, he couldn't understand how Danzou could benefit from his failure. If he failed, the investigation and witness interviews following the attack would unveil the Uchiha's schemes for a coup. Emotions would run high and the village would be in upheaval. The Hokage would be forced to hand down execution notices. Shinobi comrades who had fought with Uchiha members would undoubtedly be up in arms, weakening the Sandaime's influence. It was also unlikely that the Sandaime would face the criticism alone.

But then he remembered Shisui's cautionary words on Danzou seeking the sharingan.

The Uchiha had never considered the use of seals, like the Hyuuga, to protect the secrets of their eyes. The very nature of their eyes was their seal.

Before Kakashi, the sharingan had never been successfully transplanted and used by a non-Uchiha for a number of reasons. The first reason was that few were compatible and had the strength to wield such a physically and mentally demanding dojutsu. The second, more critical reason, was that the sharingan could only be turned on and off by the emotions of an Uchiha. That meant that dead Uchiha would be just as useless as Uchiha who had never activated their sharingan.

In other words, a sharingan had to be activated before it could be transplanted. Once transplanted, it could never be turned off – only covered to reduce the chakra drain.

Itachi suspected that if he failed, the resulting chaos would provide enough cover for condemned traitors to 'disappear'. Danzou wouldn't even hesitate to take children, as evidenced by ROOT. And since the emotional reconditioning of ROOT would never work on Uchihas, Itachi didn't want to think about what those children would be subjected to in order to trigger the potential of their eyes.

He imagined that Danzou had only approached him because this approach was the cleanest way that Danzou could accomplish his plans.

As he arrived at the shrine, he wondered if, on the off chance he was able to wipe out the clan, Danzou was of the mentality that if he couldn't have the sharingan, no one could. While he suspected Koharu only saw the threat of a military coup, he wondered if Homura was aware of Danzou's potential ulterior motives.

Counting from the right, he made his way to the seventh tatami mat and lifted it to uncover the stairs.

Had Danzou considered that he might be wielding the Mangekyou sharingan? He didn't think it was likely, Shisui had been the only other known user – the only other person who could have taught him how to use it.

Walking down the dark hallway, he activated his sharingan. Now, he was left with the stone as his only source of guidance. If he could use it to teach himself Amaterasu, his chances of pulling off the mission would significantly increase. If anything, there might even be time to spare and hide a few of the civilian children. It would be difficult, but he had a few contacts outside of the village who owed him favors.

The whisper of cloth was so soft, he almost missed it. Quickly, he blended into the shadows.

_Ssp_.

There it was again. This time, he heard a soft derisive chuckle emerge from the direction where the stone stood.

How had he missed someone's presence?

Disturbed, he quietly summoned a crow. With a quick modified henge, an inky black mouse appeared. Crouched in the shadows, he sent it toward the room with the stone tablet. From his summons' eyes, he spied a cloaked male figure crouched against the tablet.

A sense of unease struck him as he urged the mouse to creep further. He didn't recognize the man's profile, which suggested a stranger had somehow known about the clan's secret shrine.

As the mouse's perspective changed, he was able to make out a mane of wild jagged hair that partially obscured a mask. With an exception of a single hole for sight, the rest of the mask covered the man's entire fact. Wary, he watched as the man appeared to study the tablet.

_Was he able to read the stone? _He studied the man's apparent familiarity with the inscriptions with growing disbelief.

-0-

Kazuki lay face up on his bed. He stared at the ceiling and refused to move.

_I don't want to move. _

_Or think. _

_Or do anything. _Eyes half-lidded, he heaved a sigh. As much as he hated to admit it, he was out of time. He needed help, but as much as he had mentally accused Itachi of isolating himself, he knew the same could be said of him.

The whole premise of his plans (and whether or not he actually needed help) relied on his dreams and faint memories. At times, he still wasn't sure whether or not he just had a fanciful imagination. After all, he still needed the stepping stool to reach the kitchen sink.

If he didn't have his shadow techniques, he would have started to suspect that he was insane.

_At least insanity would be easier to deal with_.

That indecisiveness to confide in someone had cost him. The situation was too volatile for him to take the time to convince someone to listen to him, never mind helping him. As soon as his foothold on the situation was stable, he decided, he'd confide in someone.

In the meantime, he needed to gather a few more pieces of information to complete his contingency plans.

He turned his head to look at the sealed scroll on his desk. He also needed to deliver the scroll to Chouji. After the talk with Itachi, he realized that he had forgotten to account for whether he wanted to leave any last words behind in the event of his own death during the massacre. The scroll was what he had finally decided upon after a long night.

"Kazuki, are you up yet?"

_Ah crud._ Hurriedly, he closed his eyes just before Sasuke slammed open the door and entered at a run.

He heard the footfalls come to stop beside his bed. Without warning, he felt the sheets being pulled out from under him. He landed with a thud, tangled in sheets and blankets. "Urgh." He briefly debated the merits of fighting himself free of the covers, when –

Bright light assaulted him.

- Sasuke would do that for him. He squinted at his brother's hovering face, "What the hell?"

"You ok? Have you been having more of those nightmares?"

Kazuki turned and burrowed his face back into the mess of covers, "Mm fine."

"Good, then you can hurry up – Father's waiting."

Kazuki unburied his head to glare up at Sasuke, "Wha?"

"He wants to meet us at the pond."

Kazuki stared at Sasuke's impatient face and immediately dropped his head with a groan.

-0-

Kazuki stared as his father breathed out fire. The fireball roared as it expanded, easily spanning ten times his father's height in diameter.

It would figure that the day after Itachi's outburst, his father would decide to show them the Uchiha's coming of age technique.

Part of him was reluctant to come any closer to the heat than necessary. On the other hand, his interest couldn't help but be peaked at the brightness of the fire. He hadn't missed how everyone's shadows had lengthened across the dock as the fireball burned.

"That's a basic Uchiha ninjutsu, Katon Goukakyuu no jutsu. You were taught the seals a while ago. To use it, you must draw chakra from your mouth into your chest and hold it there. Then, immediately blow it right out."

Kazuki suppressed his impulse to slouch. _That was it? _

Before he could mull upon the instructions any further, Sasuke stepped up from beside him with a determined shout, "Ok!"

_Dammit, why is he always so eager? Now I'll be expected to perform it as well, such a pain._

He watched in anticipation as Sasuke flashed through the seals, took a giant breath, and …

…puffed out a fireball no larger than his head.

He kept silent as the fire fizzled out. He wasn't sure where Sasuke had made a mistake. He had never tried, or felt inclined to try, a fire jutsu. Intrigued, he wondered if his brother just hadn't held in the chakra long enough.

"Hmm, you haven't reached Itachi's level…"

Unaware of Sasuke's downcast look, his father turned to face him, "Kazuki?"

With a mental shrug, he stepped closer to the edge of the dock. _Never thought I'd be doing this._

Flashing through the seals, he inhaled and held his breath, molding his chakra by instinct. Just before he felt like he was going to burst, he released his breath. Immediately he knew something had gone wrong as felt something inside him switch. It felt like the moment after he threw a kunai and realized that he had released the weapon too late.

His fire streamed out much farther than Sasuke's. However, the flames were pure white. Instead of ballooning out into a giant fireball, a ball of black clouds grew at the end of stream. The cloud bubble grew to almost the size of his father's fireball. Even after his fire disappeared, the cloud continued to persist. Dark flakes began to fall the cloud, dropping into the pond.

Feeling something bubble up, he quickly covered the inside of his hand with shadow just before the first coughs escaped. As he coughed into his hand, his father turned away, "Perhaps for you two, it was still too early."

He wasn't sure what had happened. He heard his father leave as he lifted his hand for inspection. Once he was sure the substance in his hand was cool enough to touch, he retracted the shadow back into his sleeve. Rubbing his fingers, it looked like he had coughed out some sort of abrasive black ash. He glanced back at the pond, where his cloud still persisted. Its shape had begun to transform into a column, rising towards the sky like a smoke signal.

The sudden heat and crackle of flames interrupted his contemplation. He turned around to see his brother blow out another fireball. He wouldn't be surprised if his brother stayed there for the rest of the day.

Overcome with curiosity, he settled into a low crouch at Sasuke's side. The second time he attempted the jutsu, he focused instead on the feel of the chakra changing inside his chest. Aiming downwards, toward the water, he focused on that 'switching' feeling and exhaled. This time, only black spewed out. He watched the stream hit the surface of the water, causing steam to erupt upon contact.

_Fwoosh!_ "ARgh."

To his left, he saw that Sasuke's fireball looked no different than before, "Hey, at least you've got fire."

Sasuke looked over. The steam was dissipating, and he could see black specks dotting the water's surface.

"I'm just polluting the water."

Still frustrated, Sasuke grumbled, "At least your cloud was large."

Kazuki shot him a dry look. Rolling his eyes, Sasuke offered, "Does it feel like your lungs are burning when you hold your breath?"

At Kazuki's incredulous expression, Sasuke grinned with reluctant amusement, "Not like actual burning, more like… trying to breathe in the hot springs."

Seeing Kazuki's thoughtful look return, Sasuke returned to his practice in a lighter mood.

For the third attempt, Kazuki took a small breath. He didn't want to contaminate the waters any more than he already had. This time, as he held his breath, he recognized the sensation Sasuke had described.

Now that he knew what he was looking for, he realized that he had been instinctively trying release the flames like his shadows. He released his breath.

A small stream rushed forth. Sure enough, a fireball, the size of two fists, grew at the end of the stream. _Katon Goukakyuu Success!_ Close enough. He would practice the jutsu later.

In the meantime though, he touched his lips with a wince, he was going to see about setting up a festival, "Sasuke, thanks for the advice. I'm gonna head back."

Sasuke acknowledged him with a wave.

Shaking his head at Sasuke's single-minded focus, Kazuki made his way back towards the house.

-0-

"I'll talk to your father ok?" Mikoto smiled at her youngest. She didn't know how successful she'd be. Planning and hosting a festival would be time intensive, and clan affairs had been taking up an increasing amount of Fugaku's time. All the same, this was a request from Kazuki.

It wasn't that she favored him over her other sons, but rather, he was the only one she felt she could still claim.

She cherished memories of those early days, when her sons were _hers_. She had known it wouldn't last.

Itachi had always been able to see more than anyone else. Her clan, her village – everyone had recognized that. His ability to see the bigger picture meant she was quickly left wishing a safe trip to his back. That boy had always been meant for great things.

It was an honor she had never wanted for him.

But it was one she now saw Sasuke chasing.

While other mothers commiserated on their children's lack of discipline, she smiled, and afterwards, restocked the medicine cabinet. Maybe it was a product of being raised in a traditional clan, but the boy had always listened to her cautions about training with half an ear. If only he knew his preference for his father was reciprocated by his father.

Kazuki had always been a bit of a surprise. They had never expected twins. When he was three, she had been seriously worried that they were going to lose him. She suspected Fugaku had also been affected by that scare. Aside from acquiescing to her requests and allowing the boy his frequent naps, Fugaku had also been surprisingly tolerant of Kazuki's grades. Sometimes, she worried that they were being too indulgent of his indolence, that they would be crippling his ability to survive as a shinobi.

Still, he was young. There would be plenty of time to push him – time she had never secured for Itachi.

The clan and the village had called Itachi. Fugaku had Sasuke.

Kazuki was _hers_.

She turned around with three lunchboxes and kneeled. Laughing at his unsatisfied scowl, she sought to distract him, "Aren't you headed to see Chouji? Why don't you take this?"

He stared in confusion as he accepted the lunchboxes, "Why did you pack three?"

"Isn't Naruto going to be there?" She ruffled his hair, smiling as he attempted to duck away.

"You cooked for him?"

She adjusted his collar as she answered, "Of course. I would have made two lunchboxes, but we were out of the larger containers." When he didn't respond, she looked up to study his face. Biting her lip, she took a guess, "The Akimichi's are known for their large appetites – and large bentos. The first time you asked me to pack you extra, I suspected it was for a friend. It wasn't too hard to figure out who it was for."

She waited patiently as her youngest hesitantly ventured, "But… father didn't want…"

She sighed and stood. Turning her back to Kazuki, she started cleaning up the dishes, "Your father's … afraid of Naruto's pranks."

She felt Kazuki step to her side, "Really? Itachi said the same thing."

She smiled humorlessly at the doubt in his voice. Without really meaning to, she abruptly asked, "Did you know? Back when we had both been pregnant, Naruto's mother and I had thought that our kids were going to be the best of friends."

"Ehh?"

She paused and laughed at Kazuki's expression, "Why do you sound so shocked?"

"Sasuke and Naruto get along like water and oil. Wait, you knew Naruto's mother?"

She shrugged noncommittally and resumed washing the dishes, "It was war and we were both pregnant."

She shouldn't have brought up Kushina.

To her relief, Kazuki changed the subject, "During the war – Did you have the sharingan?"

"Mmhmm."

"How did you learn how to use it?"

She dried her hands on her apron and led him towards the porch to sit. "My mother and my instructor both had the sharingan."

"So you didn't read anything about it?"

She joined him on the porch, "No, everything is passed down orally." Seeing his interest and dawning disappointment, she elaborated, "Do you remember how the sharingan is activated?"

He nodded.

"On rare occasions, when we see something worse, our sharingan can evolve into what's called the Mangekyou sharingan."

"Worse?"

She brought an arm around Kazuki and drew him in to rest against her side, "Much, much worse. The Mangekyou is a powerful response developed to meet a horrible situation, which I don't ever want you in."

Feeling him nod against her, she continued, "Now, the reason we don't have much documentation on the sharingan is that different families within the clan have their own secrets about the Mangekyou sharingan."

"Do a lot of people have the Mangekyou?"

"No, but occasionally, one person in a family would develop the Mangekyou and discover a new aspect of its capabilities. I know it sounds a little confusing, but the family secrets were passed orally even if the teacher or student didn't have the Mangekyou. The only requirement to teaching and learning the secret, regardless of whether the secret could be used, was that the student must have an activated Sharingan. …It's a little like how you were taught the Katon Goukakyuu no Jutsu seals before you knew what chakra was."

Kazuki leaned away to look at her, "Do we have a secret?"

She pondered to herself for a moment. She had been meaning to have this talk with Itachi to try to reconnect with him, especially after his outburst.

Well, it wouldn't hurt to let Kazuki know. "Mmm, yes. But keep that a secret between you and me ok?"

Kazuki blinked owlishly at her, "Father doesn't know?"

She shook her head and leaned in so that their foreheads touched, "It'll be our secret."

Kazuki startled when her forehead touched his. "Ah. Ok."

She leaned away and started to stand up when Kazuki spoke again hesitantly, "Can you… can we…?"

"What is it?"

"Can we keep another secret?"

She sat back down, "Sure." She dismissed her initial concern at his question, _how bad could it be?_

"Can you teach me how to use the sharingan?"

Dismay rushed through her. Kazuki didn't know what he was asking for, and he was still much too young. Even Itachi had been 8 before he had activated his sharingan.

Before she could answer, he continued, "And can we keep this a secret? I don't really want anyone to know. Sasuke will get upset and father will – "

She interrupted, "We can keep it a secret. But, as you well know, activating your sharingan is a very trying and difficult process, and it can be especially dangerous when you're young. I – " She stopped herself when she noticed that Kazuki was looking away from her.

She was about to reprimand him for his inattention when he spoke, "It's dangerous when you're young because it drains your chakra levels right?"

A horrible suspicion rose within her. "Yes." Her voice was steady. She was surprised at herself.

"If I had it, would you train me? And keep it a secret?" He still wasn't looking at her.

This would explain so much. She was relieved she hadn't allowed Fugaku to push the boy.

She stepped forward and dropped to her knees. Before he could fully turn in surprise, she tugged Kazuki into a fierce hug, "Yes. Yes, it can be our secret."

She kissed the top of his head and released him. When he stepped back, she saw a glimpse of his sharingan before his eyes faded back to black.

Could he already control activating his eyes?

"Go visit your friends. We can talk more when you get back."

-0-

He had done it! He turned back as the last of his flames fizzled out only to see his father walk away. The emblem on his father's back had never seemed as far as it did then.

He stared at his sandals as heard his father's steps recede. Had he not learned it fast enough?

"As I expected, you are my child."

Heart in his throat, he looked up with wide eyes.

His father never turned to face him but the emblem stayed within sight as his father spoke, "Did Kazuki master this as well? Where is he?"

Sasuke shrugged, uncomfortable and uncertain. He hadn't noticed, but he doubted Kazuki had tried after he left, "I'm not sure. I think he's at Chouji's"

"The Akimichi's?"

For a moment, he was worried he had said too much. He didn't really want to get Kazuki in trouble. If he did, the boy would just complain endlessly at him and refuse to help him train. It was bad enough that he had to join Kazuki and his friends now and then to get Kazuki to go anywhere with him.

"Hmmph, no matter. You did well. From now on, you may shamelessly wear the family crest on your back. You must now improve. Then, you can soar to great heights."

Delight shot through him, "Ok!"

"Also, I will say one thing."

Curious, Sasuke waited.

"Do not follow your brother." Having said his piece, his father left.

_Itachi?_

-0-

"Shikaku! Glad you made it!" Chouza boomed out as he saw Shikaku making his way up the hill.

Returning Chouza's smile with a tired grin of his own, Shikaku joined Chouza on the porch, "Where's Inoichi?"

"In the back," Chouza answered with a noncommittal swing of his hand.

At that moment, the two of them were shoved forward as Inoichi slung an arm around each of their shoulders, "Right here." Turning his head, Inoichi studied Shikaku with a minute frown, "An old man like you shouldn't be doing all-nighters."

Shikaku shrugged of Inoichi's arm with an annoyed glare right before he broke into a grin, "Look who's talking. You're older than me."

Inoichi affected an affronted expression, "By a month."

On his other side, Chouza added with amusement, "And a half."

Inoichi spun around, purposefully hitting Shikaku in the face with his hair, "Why are you taking his side?"

As Shikaku sputtered, Chouza laughed and held up his hands, "Take it easy old man. Don't want to raise your blood pressure."

Inoichi gave up with a laugh before looking at Shikaku, "But seriously, is everything alright with Yoshino?"

Waving his hand, Shikaku nodded, "She's fine. Nagging as usual. The council elders just wanted a consult on the ghost case again."

When Chouza looked confused, Inoichi elaborated, "A month or so back, some patrols reported matching descriptions of an intruder. When investigations by the chuunin stalled, several of us were called in for consult."

Shikaku continued, "From all the reports, it seemed to be a prank by some skilled Academy students."

Inoichi shot him a glance, "A prank?"

Shikaku raised an eyebrow, "You weren't updated? Basically, everything reported could be explained away with a bunshin."

Inoichi furrowed his brows, "So why were you called again?"

Shikaku looked away, "The sightings were sporadic at best, but last night, one of the groups sighted a Kumo plate on the ninja. And since I made my recommendations, no one has been able to pinpoint the Academy student responsible for the appearances – if it was an Academy student."

"Oh shit."

Shikaku shrugged, "Yea, so they wanted another consult last night. Anyway, enough about old men talk. How are the kids?"

Inoichi pointed down the field, "See for yourself."

In a clearing at the bottom of the hill, Shikaku could make out Ino making violent gestures at Chouji in between her slaps at another boy, "Who is that?"

Inoichi groaned while Chouza laughed, "Kazuki Uchiha."

Shikaku raised his brows, "An Uchiha?" He frowned for a moment, as he recalled his past conversations, "Wait, that's the kid who Chouji befriended?"

Chouji grinned, "Yup. Kid's been good for Chouji."

Shikaku winced in sympathy as he saw Ino start tugging at Kazuki's pony tail while Inoichi laughed in embarrassment. He raised his eyes in surprise as he saw Chouji pick up Ino and set her aside before substituting himself with a log and hiding. The Uchiha had timed his movements in sync to Chouji, so that when Ino regained her bearings, she was staring at two logs.

Her pout was adorable.

"I didn't realize they taught the Kawarimi so early."

Chouza smiled proudly, "I asked Chouji. He said that Iruka had demonstrated in class and that Kazuki had thought it would be a good idea to learn."

Inoichi rubbed his forehead, "Probably so they could run away from girls."

They watched and laughed as the two boys tried to creep through the bushes unsuccessfully before Ino pounced.

Inoichi dug an elbow in Shikaku's ribs, "Hey, are the clan elders still bugging you for an heir?"

Chouza looked over with interest, while Shikaku grimaced, "They gave up on that this month actually. Yoshino found out they had been pestering me and well… you can imagine what happened."

The other two men flinched with sympathy. Chouza asked, "So what now?"

Inoichi added, "Will they try to appoint someone else?"

Shikaku shrugged, "Apparently we don't have any suitable candidates this year. The deer rejected everyone that was presented."

Inoichi nudged him companionably while Chouza reached over to clasp him on the shoulder. As the three of them watched the children rough house, Shikaku could help but feel a little wistful. It could have been his child down there, forming a second generation of Ino-Shika-Cho.

-0-

"Forgive me Sasuke, another time."

Kazuki opened the door just in time to see Sasuke walk straight into another forehead flick from Itachi.

_That will never get old. _

As Sasuke clapped his hand over his forehead, Itachi stood up, "I don't have time to look after you today." Walking past Kazuki, Itachi startled him by ruffling his hair.

To his embarrassment, he let out an indignant squawk of surprise, causing Sasuke to laugh.

Redoing his ponytail, he looked up to see Sasuke still staring at the door. When he realized that Kazuki had caught him looking, he offered, "See? Everything's fine; we were worried over nothing."

Kazuki looked back.

"Maybe."

He didn't think so. In any case, "Did you talk to father yet?"

He turned back to see Sasuke give him an apologetic frown, "About the fire festival? I tried, but I don't know if he heard me. I think he's working on it."

He looked back at the entranceway where Itachi had left and sighed right before he felt his head jerk back as his pony tail was pulled, "Oww, hey! What the heck?"

"It's your turn to come with!" Sasuke called out as he raced ahead.

_The training grounds again?_ No wonder he and Naruto were powerhouses back then.

Kazuki groaned, "I just got back…"

He revised his earlier assumption. _Maybe Sakura had developed her bedside manner from having those two competitive idiots for teammates and not from having Ino as a friend._

-0-

He watched with amusement as the boy stepped out to meet him, "How did you know about me?" Of the numerous clues he left, he was curious as to which ones had been spotted. After all, he hadn't expected the boy to be the first one to spot him.

"You were able to slip through the Uchiha's defense and even look at the secret stone inside the Naka shrine. Only the Uchiha know that place. After that, I examined your actions and tried to understand who you are and what your goal is."

_From only that?_ He scrutinized the boy's body language. The boy didn't give much away, but it seemed as though the boy had arrived at his intended conclusion anyway – as expected of a genius.

With muted amusement, he noted that no Uchiha genius would have paid as much attention to him before.

Finally, when it seemed he would learn nothing more from the boy's expression by keeping silent, he spoke with a hint of dark amusement, "… Then this will be easy. You probably know that I'm an Uchiha and that I hold a grudge towards the clan and the village."

Apparently unfazed by the confirmation of a legendary identity, the boy replied evenly "You must follow my conditions. I'll help you get revenge on the Uchiha, but you must not lay a hand on the village or on my brothers – Sasuke and Kazuki Uchiha."

He listened, distantly impressed as the boy outlined his plans. The clan would be extinguished even earlier than he had planned and – even better – without any suspicion of outsider influence. He would have to keep an eye on the boy, his brothers, and _Kakashi_, but his chances of monopolizing control over the biju just became much greater.

-0-

Recognizing Itachi's handwriting, Danzou intercepted the missive coded for the Hokage. Despite his informal title, Sarutobi still hadn't realized that his codes had long been broken.

It had cost him a few missions and men to maintain his cover of ignorance, but reading the missive, he knew it was well worth it. This kind of danger to the village couldn't exist.

With that man's presence, his plans for the Uchiha would have to be derailed. It wouldn't be a huge loss, as he had made arrangements for that possibility, however slight as it might have been. Thanks to that boy, the man's attention had been momentarily diverted from the village.

He was sure that wouldn't last very long

In the meantime, he would have to step up his operations outside the village and encourage Madara to seek his amusement elsewhere.

He would also have to be more proactive within the village. Sarutobi would never prepare the village in time. The lingering presence of a Kumo shinobi was a testament to that fact.

Quickly, he hid the missive in his sleeve.

Perhaps Orochimaru and his experiments could be of use once more.

-0-

Although it seemed premature, Mikoto had felt almost compelled to pass down her family heirloom to her children who could receive it for the past month.

Today, she had decided, today was the day that she would give in to her impulses.

Sitting on Kazuki's bed, Mikoto smiled softly at her child, "I was going to teach this to Itachi tonight, but he's taking a while to get home. So, while I wait for him, I thought I could show it to you a little early."

_Call it a mother's intuition, but I suspect you and Itachi will need all the protection I can give._

* * *

A/N Cont: Ok, this chapter was somewhat of a necessary filler, and I think it came out a bit choppy and icky, but uh yea – it's out.

Sorry for the long author's note. XD

Awww guyyss. I nearly fell off my exercise ball when I read the first reviews for my last chapter. You guys rock! … Eh. Thank you: **#1 Guest** (Aww, thank you! I'm glad Itachi came out right – I was super nervous about writing him. Thank you for continuing to follow this story and for reviewing! That means a lot!), **#7** **Guest** (Yea – sorry… I was bummed too. I hadn't realized how many intervening scenes I had in my outline due to canon scenes and as setup for stuff after the massacre), **AnonymousFern** (Right? I swear, it took forever to write his scenes, and those were the scenes I was most interested in writing), **ITACHIROCKS** (YEEESSSS! I'm so glad you liked Itachi!), **Uzushiogakure9** (Thank you! In some ways, Shisui was easier to write since I didn't have to worry about keeping him in character. I'm glad you liked it!), **#8 Guest** (ah, I was wondering if anyone was going to ask about that. Uh, hopefully this chapter answered that question? That's kinda the plot point for the next arc. Thanks for reviewing!), **Almost Ninja**, **#9 Guest** (Ah… something like that's coming after the massacre…can't say more without spoilers. Thanks for reviewing!), **lugialegend233**, **a** (YES! My first threat! This is ridiculous how happy your threat made me haha. Thanks for the review!), **Juliedoo**, **creven16**, **Radiant Celestial Aura**, **not the usual baka**, **amethystfirechik**, **#10** **Guest **(Yay! Thanks for reviewing! Yea, I've been trying to figure that out myself. I don't know if I'll be able to get across how he really feels about his family until the chapter of the massacre and the ones that follow though. His relationship with Sasuke is also one that's still under development), **Gyuchin**, **freakingbored123**, **LokiHatake**, **#11 Guest*** (Thanks for your review! I've stuck my response to you as a separate paragraph, because I do think you made a good point. Hopefully you're still around to read it XD), **Fluehatraya**,** Mel** (Yay, I'm glad someone caught it! Thanks for your review!)

Annnd, reading the reviews, I'm all like YEEESSSS, WHAT I WRITE MAKES SENNNSE, MY LIFE IS COMPLETEbutnotreally. The issue is whether or not you guys are going to kill me in the next chapter. heh heh… Speaking of which, that update might be a little late? I'm thinking Wednesday afternoon or Tuesday late evening. But, yea, unless I get angry reviews about how things are moving too fast, I'm gonna say that I'm just going to jump straight into the massacre scene in the next chapter.

On a random note, anyone know why Madara didn't just swap eyes with his brother? …yeesh, then they could both just have the eternal sharingan right? :confuzzled:

Anyway the following two paragraphs detail some of my reasoning behind the story for those who are curious.

**Conception Notes**:  
Shika & Naruto: Replying to a review, I agree that I definitely rushed the development between Shika and Naruto. I had cut out scenes because I thought they'd drag the plot too much, but I'll try to add more in once the massacre stuff's done. I'm not sure I'd agree with Naruto being antisocial, but then I haven't seen all of the anime episodes. From what I saw (basically the back hills and Yota incidents), he seemed to be 'hurt' much more easily when he was younger. So he'd try to play with friends, get rejected, brood, and play by himself. After that had happened enough times, he got used to playing by himself and taking what he could get – until Team 7. That's why Sasuke mattered so much to him. To me, Shika's balancing between a 20ish year old mentality and a 7/8ish year old mentality. His memories are one thing, but being treated as a kid every other second is another. To him, yes, he understood why Sasuke was going to react. However, when he spoke to Sasuke, he was speaking partially from worry about Naruto and partially because he felt Sasuke's reaction was overboard. To him, Naruto's ineptitude was really apparent (judging from the comments Kiba was making), and so Sasuke had no need to humiliate him as he did – especially since he had formal training and Naruto didn't. It'd kinda be like a black belt person executing a flying jump kick to take down a white belt, after the white belt mouthed off. Afterwards, he was a little annoyed that Sasuke was brushing him off, which was why he was short with him on the training grounds. But, he understood that hoping those two wouldn't fight would be ridiculous, which is why he teased Sasuke after Sasuke's apology. On the other hand, Sasuke still felt justified in taking Naruto down. However, Shika struck a nerve when he mentioned acting like an Uchiha – which Sasuke took to mean that he should have been able to dismiss Naruto. After all, that kid wasn't really worth his time. Sorry for the long explanation, but those thoughts were what I'd been trying to get across. If you have any suggestions on how to clarify that point, I'd love to hear them.  
Maths at the beginning of this chapter: The numbers I came up were based on the fact that there were 30 kids in Sasuke's class and 90 in the Academy before the Massacre. Then I took into consideration that there were roughly 4 generations of Uchiha during three shinobi world wars and that people, including Shikaku and Kakashi, had apparently believed that Itachi had killed everyone in the clan. I also made the arbitrary estimate that a fourth of the Uchiha were civilians since the compound in the manga appeared to be somewhat self-sufficient. I mean the police station and a bakery were located within the walls. From that I realized I needed more scenes that I had originally outlined. :D

Annyway, thank you guys so much for your support! As always, random strings of letters as reviews are totally cool with me too XD (you guys rock so much, I don't know of many other stories that have roughly even numbers of favorites and reviews 3) If you spot any typos, please don't hesitate to let me know! XD


	5. Eclipsed

**A/N:** Sorry this is late. I swear I know my days of the week. The plot of this chapter changed a crap ton of times and I'm still not very happy with it :\. I can see why Naruto's the main character now.

Warnings: Mild swearing, graphic(ish) violence, unreliable narrators. Nothing that's not already in the anime (I think).

* * *

**Chapter Five**

**Eclipsed**

* * *

**02:00 AM**

"Having second thoughts?"

Itachi remained still, staring into the dark, "The time wasn't right." He could sense the man's amusement.

"There's never a right time to test yourself," the masked man dropped down, barely visible in the dim cast of the moonlight. Walking past Itachi, the man asked slyly, "Were you hoping to catch the attention of a _special_ person by waiting?"

Itachi kept silent, but ducked his head to the side as he heard the man come to a standstill behind him.

"Or should I say… the attention of a certain group?"

Why did Madara care about his intentions? From the man's playful behavior, Itachi wouldn't be surprised if the man already knew about his intentions to enter the Akatsuki, "Was that a rhetorical question?"

"Maaah…," the voice trailed off. The crunch of gravel seemed unnaturally loud as the man pivoted and walked past Itachi again. The mood abruptly changed as the man turned to face him, just under an arm's length away.

The man bent at the waist, so that he was presumably on eye-level with Itachi, "Regardless of your plans, I only have so much patience for little weasels." He tilted his head to the side, as if to better see out of the single eye-hole in the mask, "Decide soon, boy."

-0-

**07:00 AM. **

"He's changed a little. He's not really the type to make friends. As his parent, I try to understand him, but…"

Sasuke looked back down and picked at his rice. Itachi was rarely home anymore. Even when he was home, he was distant and aloof. Kazuki on the other hand was also rarely home, but distant for an entirely different reason – exhaustion.

"Is Kazuki still asleep?"

Sasuke looked up and shook his head, "I think he went out to see Chouji."

His father harrumphed and muttered, "If he's not asleep, he's off making trouble and getting lost." He sighed and turned to Sasuke, "When you've finished eating, go and make sure he doesn't land in the hospital again. He won't want to miss the festivities tomorrow."

As Sasuke nodded, Mikoto turned and wiped her hands dry on her apron, "At least that time it was only a few stitches. I'm sure he doesn't do it on purpose."

Fugaku sighed.

"Alright Sasuke. Here's your lunch and Kazuki's. Be sure to give it to him when you find him."

"I will!" Scrambling, he called out as he left, "I'm off!" As he ran towards the compound's entrance he couldn't help but mentally groaned at the thought of searching for his directionally-challenged twin.

-0-

**11:00 AM**

Kazuki yawned and collapsed into a heap on the wet grass.

The last few months had felt almost as hectic as when the village had been mobilizing for the fourth war. At times, he surprised himself with the shenanigans he had not only just considered, but also executed. Anything that would keep patrols near the compound, that would force Uchiha members out at odd hours or non-clan members in the compound, or that would promote a better relationship between the clan and the village – he had tried. Among making bakery orders, attempting food poisoning (which Naruto's fridge was disturbingly well equipped for), forging betrothal requests (and hadn't that been nerve-wrackingly amusing), and falsifying the presence of Kumo ninja, he barely had time for sharingan studies with his mother. Additionally, with his father finally agreeing to a festival, the time he had to secretly train with his mother was cut to even odder hours.

He had never felt as appreciative of his mother for humoring him as he had those last few months.

As Chouji contentedly shoveled another handful of chips into his mouth by his side, Kazuki felt absurdly grateful that his friends were usually laid back.

"GERROFF ME YOU DAMN BASTARD!"

_More or less anyway_. With a groan, he rolled to his side, where he knew he would be hidden by Chouji's girth.

He heard his brother grunt in annoyance, "_You_ get off, you idiot!"

There was a rustle of leaves before he felt Chouji shift his weight to wave.

"KAZUKI YOUR JERK OF A BROTHER'S HEREEEEEE!"

_Dammit. They found him_. _So much for a quick nap…_

-0-

**05:00 PM**

Chouji muffled a snicker as Naruto and Sasuke finally decided to work together to find Kazuki. The two of them were suited for each other. Both of them were incredibly loud, competitive, and so oblivious to their surroundings. He briefly considered upending his bag of empty wrappers over their heads. He changed his mind when he turned and saw Kazuki sleeping next to him, against the trunk of the tree.

Studying the dark circles under Kazuki, he frowned for a moment, before shrugging. Grinning mischievously to himself, he flicked a pebble into the foliage some distance away and watched Sasuke and Naruto charge away. His grin died when he returned his attention to Kazuki and was reminded of the wrapped scroll he had been given several months ago.

_What had he meant by 'if something happens' – and why Dad?_

-0-

**07:20 PM**

Itachi frowned as he rushed through the woods.

If he didn't know better, he would have thought that the hokage was stalling given his recent missions out of the village. To be fair though, he was the only Uchiha who could be sent out as a courier these days. It was still strange to have so many clients request for an Uchiha.

With a graceful flip, he landed inside the compound walls.

Immediately, he could sense something was amiss. The streets were too silent. Had Madara moved without him?

_I'll attack the residential areas, the markets – the civilians first. _

Quickly, he dashed up to the rooftops. The sun had just begun to set, casting an eerie reddish-orange hue across the tiles.

_While you draw in the responding shinobi, I'll incapacitate the others._

As he ran, he could only see empty streets from his high vantage point. Despite this, he knew that his movements should have already attracted attention. Activating his sharingan, he landed in the shopping district.

His worst suspicions were confirmed.

-0-

**07:30 PM**

Kazuki watched Sasuke and Naruto collapse onto the forest floor, panting. Although Naruto seemed to be swiftly recovering, both of them appeared to be dead-tired.

That still didn't stop them from gasping out insults.

Grinning suddenly, he elbowed Chouji, "C'mon, before they notice." If he timed this well, he could probably convince Chouji to help him practice with his shadows again.

He was distracted from Chouji's answering grin when he sensed a fast approaching presence. A moment later, a shinobi with a flak jacket dropped down in front of them, "What are you four still doing out? Don't you know a curfew's been instituted?"

Naruto flopped onto his stomach, "A curfew? What's that?"

"Idiot. There was one last week."

As the two of them started to tussle in the dirt, reminding of Kazuki of fishes flopping on the shore, the shinobi spoke quickly, "Hurry and go home."

Kazuki frowned, "Why is there another curfew? I thought the rogue-nin had been killed." At least, that was what he hoped they believed. The memories he had received from his kage bunshin hadn't been pleasant in the least, and he didn't want all of that effort to have been wasted.

"It's just another security sweep. Now, enough questions. Hurry and go home," with that said, the shinobi quickly departed.

Kazuki sighed. He had hoped to stay out longer to force someone from the clan out to retrieve him again. He looked over to see his brother pinning Naruto to the ground.

Actually, there was something he could do, "Hey, Naruto."

"Whhaaaaat? Move your ass, you stupidhead," Naruto responded as he scrabbled ineffectually at Sasuke's back.

He could see Sasuke attempt to subtly move his more ticklish spots out of Naruto's reach. This could definitely work. Those two could entertain each other, "Can we have a sleepover at your place?"

Naruto immediately stopped struggling and perked up, "Really? – oomph."

At the same time, Sasuke dropped Naruto back to the ground and protested, "NO!"

Chouji looked at him, "Ahh… my dad wanted to show me a clan jutsu tonight."

Sasuke spoke up, "It's a curfew – we're supposed to head back."

Kazuki was struck with a sudden sense of anxiety. _The curfew… something about this_.

Naruto grumbled, "You just want to get out of your deal."

Forestalling the pending argument, Kazuki interrupted, "Sasuke, we can work on more things at Naruto's place – right Naruto?"

"Huh, wha-? Oh – yea YE –!"

"And Chouji, come over if you can?" Not watching to see if Chouji nodded, he quickly grabbed his jacket and checked to see if he had everything with him. "You guys head back first. I'm going to let our parents know."

Sasuke began to protest, "Father won't – "

"Don't worry about it," Kazuki interrupted, "Naruto, this is ok with you right?"

Naruto nodded vigorously.

Kazuki gave him a tense smile and clapped him on the shoulder, "Thanks. If anything happens or you see our signal, you know what to do."

Naruto squinted at him, "Ehhh…, are you sure that's going to work?" When Kazuki shot him a look, he waved his hands, "OK, ok, I got it. Just ask your mom if you can come and then you won't even have to worry about running."

Kazuki rolled his eyes, "Just go ok? I'll join you guys in a bit." With that said, he sauntered off.

Naruto shouted at his back as he disappeared into the underbrush, "Don't leave me alone with this bastard for too long!"

Sasuke growled, but didn't bother retaliating. He stood indecisively for a moment as Naruto and Chouji made to pick up their belongings. The reddish glow of the forest had faded to a soft golden glow. He wasn't exactly sure what was wrong, but he recognized that smile that Kazuki had given. The smile had been a little too wide, a little too quick. It was the same smile Kazuki used to give after a nightmare.

He exhaled sharply as he came to a decision, "Naruto, I'm going to make sure Kazuki doesn't get lost again. Chouji, see you later." With an absent minded wave, he set out to find his twin.

-0-

**07:30 PM**

Itachi glanced at the position of the sun. At this time of day, his brothers should both be out of the compound. He held onto that thought for a brief moment before forcefully blanking his mind and focused his attentions on the mission that had started without him.

There was no time; the genjutsu could disperse at any moment. All evidence of the coup had to be destroyed.

If Danzo hadn't moved his people, anyone could stumble upon the compound. Swiftly, Itachi created three shadow clones. As he rushed to the residence of the nearest clan elder, he sent one clone to watch the compound gates and the other two to gather more information around the compound.

From the wounds and positions of the bodies, it looked as if Madara had gone ahead with the original plan. Heart thundering in his chest, Itachi hoped that was the case.

Approaching the Uchiha Tekka's residence, he could see the clan elder's motionless profile. Quickly entering the house, he approached the kneeling figure from behind as his sense of foreboding grew.

He faced the man. Tekka looked catatonic as he had half expected.

Had Madara known about his mission all along?

_Howcouldheprotecthisbrothersfroma_legend? Steadying himself, he asked, "What is your name?"

The man immediately responded without inflection, "Uchiha Tekka."

"Blink twice."

Tekka blinked twice. His face remained expressionless.

_Shit_. Madara _had_ known. There wasn't time to dwell. He had to move forwards. "Destroy any evidence related to the revolution."

"Ye-URCGH!"

Itachi looked up and caught the sight of the kunai ripping through the man's throat from the edge of his vision. Madara stood before him, behind Tekka, who collapsed on the ground, "I've already taken care of that."

As he spoke, he tossed a scroll to Itachi, "I found this on your desk. Since it didn't look like you were going to be back in time, I figured I'd do you a favor."

Ignoring the implication that Madara had been inside his house, he caught and unfurled the scroll. He made a note of the broken seal before scanning the document.

**Clouds will cover the moon as the horse runs. Uproot the disease before the ram arrives.  
**_[Danzou would ensure the compound remained undisturbed for an hour (7-8PM)]_

**Seedlings depend on vermin-free soil.  
**_[His brothers' lives would depend upon the reputation of the Uchiha.]_

Irritation briefly rushed through him. _How could Danzo have been so careless? _It wasn't as if he didn't already know that Danzo was leaving the onus of the cover-up on him. There was no need to remind him of his brothers. Moreover, the timing of Danzo's movements should have been related to him _directly_ – and with a much greater lead time.

Brushing aside his annoyance in the face of the much greater threat, he stared back evenly, "A favor?"

Madara backed up as he answered, "The evidence has all been destroyed – as your clones should corroborate."

As if Madara had purposefully timed his words, Itachi suddenly had an influx of memories to assimilate. Actually, taking in the last bit of memories, Itachi suspected that Madara had been responsible for the dispersal of his two clones, but not before they had accomplished their original purpose.

As he was swallowed by the shadows, Madara spoke again. "With the exception of your brothers, your clan is dead," Madara shrugged, " – or dying."

_My parents - !_

He tensed at the sound of Madara's dry laugh, "Funny, isn't it? I did warn them the village would be their downfall."

He felt Madara's single sharingan drilling into his own even as the last of Madara disappeared, "Well, you can thank me later."

Itachi ran.

-0-

**07:37 PM**

The second he was sure they couldn't see him, Kazuki took off.

A second village curfew was odd. He couldn't remember having curfews as a child, but it wasn't like he had wandered around a lot back then either. He hoped his sudden anxiety was only due to paranoia.

_They couldn't have acted yet._

Between his memories from his attempts to crack Jiraiya's code about Pain and from attending the planning sessions for the fourth war, he was certain that his understanding of how the village currently used its messenger birds was accurate. Judging from the flight patterns of the birds this morning, he was sure that Itachi had left the village that afternoon.

Additionally, the Hokage had to know about the increased communications between the Uchiha and the rest of the village…

Regardless, there was no point to this line of thought.

He picked up his speed. By the time he reached the compound, the sun had almost set. He paused, a step from breaking the cover of the forest. Shaking off his sudden hesitance, he regained his breath and walked past the compound gates.

It was too quiet.

He glanced at the sky and felt his hackles rise. It was too dark for the streetlights to not be lit.

He quickened his steps. Some part of him needed the confirmation.

He saw the ripped paper lanterns before he saw the first body. Rushing over, he dropped to his knees and scrambled with one hand for his stasis pills while reaching for the person's neck with his other. He stopped, when he felt warm dampness beneath his fingertips.

Carefully, he used his other hand to flip the body over. Dead.

He paused, in the middle of a handseal. The blood was warm. There was still a chance his parents…

Signaling now might bring help, or it might rush whoever had done this.

_There wasn't time for this._

Hastily, he retrieved a plastic packet from his jacket and used a kunai to stab a hole into the bag. Swinging his arms with quick arcs, it took only a few seconds to cast the ash inside the bag into thin black swirls around the area.

With a quick glance backwards to ensure the ash had been cast, he ran off towards home.

_Please be alright_.

-0-

**07:42 PM**

Filtering through the memories from his shadow clones, it seemed as if Madara had been true to his word. Itachi ducked through the window into his room and rushed downstairs. Crossing the courtyard in a few bounds, he entered the study by leaping through the window.

For the first time in a long time, it took him a full second to process what was before him.

His original plan had involved attacking the conspirators of the revolution and placing them under a genjutsu before executing them. Under this genjutsu, he could question them to ensure there was no evidence of the clan's schemes and to ensure a quick death. Somehow, Madara had known of his plans and had apparently executed them as he had intended.

But he had _never_ intended this.

He dropped to his knees in front of his parents and swiftly released the genjutsu on his parents. Immediately, their heads dropped, but the rest of their bodies remained immobile.

It took his father a moment to find his bearings and draw pain-glazed eyes to meet Itachi's own, "So, you joined them?"

Dimly, Itachi realized he had never undressed from his ANBU gear and that Tekka's blood still decorated his chest plate. He only saw the puncture wounds in both of his parents' sides.

Judging by the size of the stains in their clothing, his parents had been frozen in a kneeling posture for approximately ten minutes. That man had ensured they would be just alive to exchange last words with Itachi.

_A favor…?_

His eyes were burning. The puncture wound on his father was too precise, too well mirrored on his mother. Madara had meant to hit the stomach. The pain his parents were under...

…_or a warning?_

"Father, Mother, I…" his breath hitched.

He could see his mother visibly fighting back the pain, while his father spoke again, as if he were unaffected by the pain, "Itachi."

He had to stop this. He reached behind his back.

"Promise me."

Pausing, he returned his father's stare. He could hear his mother's rasping breaths amid wet coughs.

"Promise me you will protect Sasuke and Kazuki."

He gave a sharp nod, "I will."

_This has to be done. There was no time. _He closed his eyes and clasped his hand around the handle of his tanto and pulled. It wasn't until he heard the blade rattle against the scabbard that he realized that he was trembling.

"Don't hesitate."

He opened his eyes.

His father was smiling, "Our pain will be brief compared to yours. You've chosen a hard path to pursue your vision. We both only ever had the best of intentions. I'm proud of you. "

"…_We're_ proud." His mother was looking at him through her hair.

He jerked suddenly as memories of his last clone came to him. His brothers were back in the compound.

"I.. tachi.." his mother's voice was whisper thin in contrast to his father solid, "Do it."

He stabbed and felt something within him snap. Letting out a sob, he tried to move his frozen fingers, to turn his attention to his mother. _One more. _

The blood burned against his skin.

With a strangled cry, he pulled the blade out.

"…wait…"

His sight was blurred with tears and he heard, more than saw, his father fall with a soft thud.

"I..tachi.."

He could barely hear her words over his own gasps. He blinked rapidly, and forced himself to look, to see the hate that _had_ to be in his mother's eyes for him.

But there was only concern. He hated that she understood. He hated the forgiveness he saw.

Her lips moved silently. _Kazuki, watch... Something… to him. Has sharingan._

"FATHER! MOTHER!" Sasuke's voice.

His throat tightened as he saw his mother's eyes widen and fill with horror.

He was out of time. He needed to go. He could hear pounding footsteps come to a stop.

His mother finally looked away. Twisting her head, "Sasuke, don't come in!"

In one breath, he shuttered his emotions away and called forth the persona he had created so many months ago. He stabbed on his exhale. _Don't watch, mother. Go straight to heaven and don't watch this_.

As his mother fell, he quickly stepped back into the shadows and wiped away his tears. There was one more dance he had to perform tonight.

The door slowly swung inwards, revealing Sasuke's shocked expression, "Father! Mother!" He watched the boy rush in and noted Kazuki's absence. Stepping forward, he watched disbelief cross his little brother's face.

This was the one who would -_end him- _challenge him.

How pitiful. _  
_

He ended his brother's bewildered cries by hurling a shuriken, which grazed his brother's shoulder. He waited for Sasuke to register his actions.

Sasuke needed to get over his disbelief. He closed his eyes, _"_Foolish little brother." He would crush that naiveté. It was time Sasuke learned about Tsukuyomi, "Mange –"

"KATON GOUKAKYUU!"

_Kazuki. _

He leapt back. Instead of flames, a thick screen of black smoke blocked the exit, replacing the space where Sasuke had been.

-0-

Kazuki hastily reapplied the chakra on his hands. Even though he knew the cost of creating a Kage Bunshin, the drain had still surprised him.

He hadn't felt this sort of adrenaline rush through him since facing the roots of Obito's carnivorous plant. Kazuki watched Itachi take a single step forward – towards his ash cloud, before pivoting sharply and leaping out the window.

He wasn't sure whether or not to be relieved or disappointed that his ploy hadn't worked.

Once he was sure Itachi was gone, he dropped from the ceiling and rushed to his mother's side. He was pushing a white pill past her lips and trying to massage her throat before he realized the clamminess of her skin. She wasn't breathing.

She was already gone.

His eyes flickered over her still form for a moment before he caught himself.

Slipping on the floor, he scrambled over to his father, reaching for a pulse that he already knew wasn't going to be there.

_Itachi is- was ANBU. You knew what that meant. _

He sat back.

It didn't make any sense. How did he miss – there was no time for Itachi to – it just –

The seat of his pants was wet.

He was sitting in his parents' blood.

He was –

He –

What was he doing?

He scrambled up and darted for his room, moving almost on autopilot. His mind kept flashing back to his parents bodies. He needed to get Sasuke out. He needed his supplies. His parents had two wounds. Why didn't Sasuke listen to him? His parents had been attacked twice. He had to get Sasuke out. Their first assailant had aimed for their stomachs – but that wasn't Itachi. That needless pain _totheirPARENTS_ wasn't Itachi.

Another attacker? The Uchiha were all dead. _His clan was all dead_.

Sliding into his room, he grabbed a half dismantled radio from his desk and slid open his window and stopped as he was hit with a sudden thought.

Could it have been Obito?

_This early?_

-0-

Itachi was vaguely surprised by the "smoke screen". He didn't know when or where Kazuki had learned that skill. If his sharingan hadn't been activated, he wasn't sure he would have noticed the singe marks on the wooden floor caused by the falling ash particles.

Honing in on Sasuke's chakra signature, he leapt out the window and ran to cut off his brother's escape. It was strange that he couldn't detect Kazuki's signature. Was that another skill his brother had picked up? What had his mother been trying to tell him about Kazuki?

He jumped down from the roof and waited for his brother to come into view. Soon enough, he could see his Sasuke's profile running down the street.

But his movement was wrong. Sasuke was running like Kazuki.

As his brother skidded to a stop in front of him, he narrowed his eyes and reactivated his sharingan. That chakra was definitely Kazuki's. _Henge?_

"Do you hope to distract me from your brother, Kazuki?"

Unexpectedly, the boy answered him by hurling kunai that appeared to be infused with chakra.

_When had Kazuki learned to do that?_

Regardless, the boy's aim was rather lackluster. Itachi dodged the throws with ease before catching and returning the last kunai at a much higher speed. The kunai hit a log.

Itachi watched as 'Sasuke' dropped the henge, and Kazuki reappeared.

"DAMMIT SASUKE. GET OUT OF HERE!"

_A transformation jutsu on one of the kunai? _He looked back to see Sasuke facing him, clearly indecisive.

"I TOLD YOU, IT'S NOT ITACHI! RUN!"

This was taking too long. He casted another illusion.

As Sasuke shouted in horror at what he believed to be a barrage of shuriken hurtling towards Kazuki, he reappeared in front of Sasuke, "Mangekyou sharingan!"

Sasuke screamed. Itachi could feel his brother's mind twisting beneath his own. He had only begun to show Sasuke a few scenes before he was forced to jump back. Immediately blue sparks arched over where he had been standing, separating him from Sasuke. Released from the genjustu, Sasuke dropped bonelessly to the ground.

He looked behind him to see Kazuki holding an exposed wire to the ash that was lying on the ground.

_Volcanic ash?_

Seeing Kazuki start to flash through familiar handsigns, he used shunshin to step in front of Kazuki.

"Katon Gouka –"

Cutting off the shout with a sharp punch to the stomach, he was startled when the shout finished from a different direction.

"-kyuu!"

As three bursts of bright thin flames raced upwards to light up the night sky, Itachi heard the recognizable pop of a bunshin dispersing next to him.

_Kage bunshin?_ Had he missed something? There was no way Kazuki could know a forbidden technique or have the chakra levels to pull it off.

He turned to see Kazuki crouched next to Sasuke whispering. He was certain the chakra signature he was seeing was Kazuki's.

He frowned. A moment later, Kazuki stiffened right before Sasuke's shriek broke the silence. His suspicions rose when instead of screaming, Kazuki released Sasuke from the genjutsu. He would have to stop holding back as much, especially with the flares Kazuki had just sent up.

With another shunshin he threw Kazuki bodily away into the wall of a neighboring storefront. He walked towards Kazuki slowly, giving Sasuke time to recover. Picking Kazuki up by his collar, he slammed the boy hard against the wall just as Sasuke cried out, "Stop it!"

He paused and turned his head to watch as Sasuke managed to stand up. He felt Kazuki begin to stir.

"Why? Why did you?" _Stop trusting me with those eyes_.

"To measure my capacity." He felt Kazuki grasp weakly at his wrist with both hands.

Sasuke shook his head in denial, "No, no. You're not my brother. You're not – "

"The brother you wanted to spend time with has done this to measure _your_ capacity. I acted like your companion to see your potential. Your hate for me, your desire to surpass me, _your_ capacity...those are the reasons I will let you live, so that you can become like me."

He felt small hands clasp around his own as a shout broke out, "NO!"

Turning his head, he saw a pair of sharingan eyes, staring defiantly back at him. He had hoped but never expected for at least one of his brothers to activate their sharingan.

"Sasuke don't listen to him! He's not Itachi."

Frustrated, Itachi switched his grip to a chokehold. He hadn't expected Kazuki to be so stubborn. He made an offhand remark to Sasuke, "Kazuki on the other hand…"

He prepared scenes of Sasuke's death and layered those scenes with his memories of killing their parents. He topped those scenes with death scenarios of the Kyuubi and Akimichi boys.

Leaning in, he met Kazuki's eyes, "I don't think you have the capacity. _Mangekyou sharingan_."

Immediately he felt a difference between Kazuki and Sasuke's minds and the strain on his eyes. Whereas Sasuke reminded him of freshly fallen snow, Kazuki reminded him of the shifting shadows cast by leaves dancing in the wind. He caught Kazuki's mind with a few scenes, but the speed at which Kazuki recoiled surprised him. He sensed a familiar taint before he felt the flow of chakra shift.

_A monstrous creature with ten tails swirling above. Men and women dying,hollowedcheeks, men standing together – Madara with black eyes next to…Madara? _

He released the jutsu, breaking free of those disjointed images. As his vision cleared, he realized he was staring into the unfocused gaze of another pair of Mangekyou sharingan.

_What…?_

He raised his other hand and backhanded a charging Sasuke. Before he could follow up the attack, he found himself unable to move. He was startled when he identified the technique from the shadows encircling his arms._ Kage tsukami (shadow clutch)._

He would have been impressed at the caster's skill if it hadn't been Kazuki. The hazy nature of shadows at night usually made the shadows much more difficult to manipulate. He had only seen highly experienced Naras execute this technique in this low-level lighting. _Kage bunshin, volcanic ash, mangekyou sharingan, kage tsukami… _

_Who was this? _

No one had replicated the Mangekyou sharingan before. From the number of bodies his clones had reported, there was only one other Uchiha who could have the Mangekyou. But why would Madara pretend to be Kazuki – and if that was the case, where was Kazuki? Was this another trick of Madara's?

Anger flared as he felt his fingers start to loosen from their chokehold around the boy's neck. It took a moment to resist the hold of the shadows, but he could already feel the shadow technique weakening.

He broke free.

It was only instinct that kept him from driving the kunai into bone.

-0-

Kazuki gave a hoarse yell as he felt the kunai pierce his shoulder, pinning him against the wall.

He hadn't meant to use his Mangekyou sharingan. Some part of him was almost grateful he now had the pain to stave off his sudden exhaustion.

"Who are you?"

He blinked rapidly, trying to regain his breath. His left arm refused to obey him, but he managed to cover one of his brother's hands with his right hand. If Naruto had been paying attention, there wouldn't be much time left. Even if Naruto hadn't been paying attention, someone would have noticed his flares.

He focused on Itachi's eyes with desperation. He had never seen his brother look so frantic – which was just so _wrong_. Would this be the last time he would see him?

There was so much Itachi needed to know. He was so young and he was going to go join the Akatsuki – _where Hidan was_.

Whatcouldhedo?WhatcouldheSAY?

But everything was so muddled and the hold on his neck was only getting tighter. Everything was just so _inadequate_.

He saw red eyes narrow and felt the grip on his neck loosen. _Were those tears?_ He felt the familiar stirring of chakra on his skin and knew he was out of time.

The words just escaped him. "Ki o tsukete. Nii-san."

The pressure against his neck and shoulder vanished right before impacted against the floor. He turned his head and was blearily aware of Naruto yelling hysterically. Sasuke lay motionless beside him.  
"WHATTHEHELL? WHAT HAPPENED?! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?"

Why was Sasuke motionless?

"WHAT'S GOING ON?"

.

Heneededtocheckonhisbrother. He needed to check –

"IS THAT BLOOD?!"

.

on Sasuke–

.

"KAZUKI!"

.

He needed –

.

.

"Isn't this your mom?"

.

He.

.

_Sasuke._

* * *

**A/N Cont: **Gah. It probably needs to be proofread a few more times, but I needed a break. I hope people weren't too disappointed by this chapter. I had several more scenes written out for this chapter, but I'm shifting them to the next.

**Behind the conception of the massacre**: When I had been first dabbling with the idea of Shika reincarnated, I wanted him to succeed. But then I realized that having him succeed would change a lot of the canonverse, destroying the feasibility of him in certain later scenes. For example, Orochimaru wouldn't have to target Sasuke. Danzou could have a whole other arm full of sharingan (eww.) Once I thought about that, I also realized the chances of him succeeding were really low in the first place. From my standpoint, I knew if I travelled back in time with everything I know now, there would be a lot of national tragedies I would have no way of knowing how to stop.  
The scenes of the massacre (what Itachi was going to do and how Shika was going to react) also changed a lot from what they were going to be when I was writing Chapter 1. Between writing Chapters 2&3 and writing to Lily Umbra, I realized that it would be really hard to 'save' Itachi if he did kill his clan. This was a guy who became a pacifist by the scenes of war instead of being inured to it like many others had been. Based on the presence of shoguns and merchants, I kinda figured that there'd be some sorta Neo-Confucianism thing going on, i.e. emphasis on filial piety. Between that and his goal to have Sasuke kill him, I figured Itachi would have a crap ton of self-hatred going on. Even if he killed his clan for his village, I don't think he could forgive himself. Anyway, those were the main considerations behind the conception of this chapter.

**As usual, many thanks to my reviewers! **This chapter was basically budged out scene by scene every time I saw a reviewer notice in my inbox. :D For those who are reviewing non-anonymously, if you don't mind spoilers in my replies, just let me know. ||||Thank you **amethystfirechik**, **Fluehatraya**, **unsung soldier**, **#12 Guest** (Yay! Glad you liked it – hope this didn't disappoint!), **fprintmoon**, **#13 Guest** (Oh thank goodness, I'm so glad those characters came out well. There's not really much to go on for many of the adult characters. Thank you for reviewing!), **#1 Guest** (SWEEET! Thanks for the information and your encouragement from the start!), **AnonymousFern** (Ehehehe, uh these were written mainly "when I could"/when I was procrastinating. I had intended to do a weekly update schedule, but then I felt guilty for saying the massacre would be in Chapter 2. It'll prolly be weekly after this update, cuz this kind of update schedule is totally not sustainable XD, Thanks for your review! I'm glad you liked the chapter), **ITACHIROCKS** (eh heh ^^; On the topic of Omakes, I actually had one in the fourth chapter and then deleted it after a couple of hours because I thought it was dumb. I might start a separate work containing all of my omakes though, because there are definitely some scenes that I wish could happen in this story, but can't), **Uzushiogakure9** (Yay! Thanks for reviewing! Thanks for the info! Yeaaaa the possibilities for their interactions are endless – and so distracting. Ugh I know, Kazuki still hasn't even graduated yet. Mmm Danzou does whatever the hell he wants haha. I didn't even realize how he could benefit from certain things until I was writing the scene itself. Thanks for staying with the story!), **#14 Guest** (ehehe, yay approximation. Thanks for your review!), **#15 Guest** (Holy crap, someone finally did it! Thanks for reviewing/letting me know the fourth chapter was worth reading through haha :) ), **Almost Ninja**, **Lily Umbra**, **Weasel Fu**, **cloudcuckoolander96**, **a fan** (Yay! Thank you for reviewing! Yea, I debated on the idea for awhile. Originally I wasn't going to have Yoshino XD), **anonymous** (ahaha, well… I'm glad the suspense is building. Um, yea… hopefully things won't be as cryptic after the next chapter. I'll totally admit though, that I'm totally BSing the cryptic stuff. Not sure what I was thinking when I decided to write a story from the point of view of smart characters ^^; Anyway, glad you enjoyed the story!), **not the usual baka**, **#16 Guest** (;D I'm glad you guessed that! Thanks for your review!)

Would people prefer **shorter chapters**? I hadn't asked earlier, because I wanted to keep things consistent, at least within an arc. But, looking back on the chapters, they do seem kinda long – especially for the multiple-scene writing style that I use. Also, I can cut out chapter conception details from the A/N at the end if they're bothering people.

Again, updates from here on out will probably be less frequent for feasibility and quality control reasons. Also, is there anyone who wouldn't mind being told spoilers on the story? I still don't have a beta, but I just want someone to bounce ideas off of. I realized as I was reading **Sunshine and Stormclouds** by Elelith (awesome story) that I had completely forgotten about Jiraiya. So just having someone point out characters or plot points that I might forget to consider would be great.

Last thing in case people haven't noticed. Since I can be bad about predicting when I'm going to update (and what I'm going to update), I'll keep the status of the story updated in my profile. The next update might not be for at least a week since I have family visiting.

Thanks for following/reading this story up to now!

[EDIT: ugh, sorry about the typos. Apparently crossed out words don't show up as 'crossed-out' words on this site.  
Let me know how the fight scenes were? Did everything make sense? I'm planning on clarifying the points that were unclear in the next chapter. Some of the scenes were purposefully unclear, but it helps to know if you guys agree with which parts were supposed to be unclear XD]


	6. Embers

**A/N:** I can't believe I actually looked up Icha Icha books for this chapter. Anyway, thanks for the feedback! General decision was to keep the chapters coming at the same length.

A quick side note, I currently do not have any pairings planned. That might change, but I'm just putting it out there so people aren't insulted by romantic intentions where there are none. More in the endnotes.

* * *

**Chapter Six**

**Embers**

* * *

**07:45 PM  
**Kakashi was bored.

He hated being bored.

If he had known he was going to be off active duty for two months, he would have paced himself. Reading Icha Icha Paradise for the seventh time that month meant that the novel served as a very poor distraction from his thoughts. He readjusted his seat on the branch and settled back with arms crossed behind his head.

He had known his streak of back to back missions was going to end eventually, but he had never thought they would end so abruptly. He tilted his head to the side and watched as his reason for lounging in the tree finally stood.

Judging from the black turtleneck and unmasked face, it looked like the rumors were true; Gai had finally left ANBU. He was surprised Gai had stayed for as long as he had.

With a glance at the moon, he sighed and jumped down. Gai didn't turn around. In fact, from the time it took Kakashi to amble across the field to stand at his side in front of the memorial stone, Gai never made a sound.

It was disquieting. He floundered for something to say; social niceties had never been his thing. The few people he was even remotely close to didn't exactly follow social norms themselves. As much as he hated to admit it, Gai had become somewhat of a touchstone for him, acting as a distraction for the brief moments when he was off-duty in the village. He stood there awkwardly for a moment, hoping his presence would suffice.

A sudden burst of light at the corner of his eye caught his attention. Turning his head, he caught three white bursts of fire streaking upwards, illuminating the night sky and casting the landscape in deep shadows.

That was strange. Was it a signal for the curfew to be over?

He glanced at Gai's face as an idea struck him. Technically, he wasn't even supposed to be out here.

He idly rubbed his chin with a knuckle as he considered the risks and merits of his idea.

Meh. He owed the Hokage for leaving him idle for so long anyway. The excuse about time off for closure was bullshit, just like the reason for this curfew according to jounin gossip. Plus, something about those flares was rubbing him the wrong way.

"Race you to those flares?"

For a moment, he thought it wasn't going to work, but he immediately retracted his doubts as Gai leaped straight into his nice guy pose, with one hand on his waist and the other waving a thumbs-up sign beneath his nose. The pose was slightly jarring with Gai dressed in black instead of his preferred green, but the sense of familiarity soon returned with Gai's loud volume, "Alright! LET'S DO THIS!"

His grin wasn't as wide as it was before, but it was back.

Moving almost in sync with Gai, Kakashi took a step back, readying himself only to launch off with Gai's shout, "One-two-three-GOOOOOO!"

_So much for racing discretely. _As he ran off with his arms trailing behind him, Kakashi grinned beneath his mask. He wondered if any of the patrols would be able to catch them.

-0-

**08:00 PM**

Chouza watched, surprised, as his son moved smoothly without hesitation through the pattern that he had only introduced the week before – and straight through the sequence that he had planned to introduce that evening. _Right, left, turn the right foot, pivot, heel – toe down– and strike! _

"Chouji."

When his son continued to move absently through the forms, Chouza took another step forward and crouched down in front of his son, "Chouji."

Startled, Chouji took a step back and dropped out of his stance, "Wha – sorry! What did I do wrong?"

Chouza noted Chouji's inattention. Actually, the boy had seemed preoccupied earlier that night too. He gave him a proud but quizzical smile, "Nothing, you did it flawlessly."

Chouji gave him a distracted, but happy smile.

"Who have you been practicing those stances with?" Chouza watched as Chouji's smile faded into a worried pout.

"Kazuki. Sometimes Naruto when he's around."

Chouza noted his son's anxiety, "What's wrong?" He waited patiently as Chouji fidgeted with his hands.

"Kazuki… Kazuki –Can I go see Naruto?"

Surprised at the sudden question, Chouza motioned for Chouji to follow him back into the house. As they walked he asked, "I'm afraid there's a curfew out. Is there a reason you need to see him?"

Sucking on his lip, Chouji didn't reply until he was sitting at the dining room table, "I'm worried… something might have happened."

Placing a cup of tea in front of his son, Chouza took a seat across from him and suggested, "Why don't you start from the beginning."

Chouji cupped his hands around the mug, pursed his lips for a brief moment, before finally speaking haltingly, "Kazuki was gonna see… if he could sleep at Naruto's tonight ….I thought he meant it as a joke, …but …he said he'd signal if …something happened."

"Signal?"

Chouji traced the rim of the mug with his thumb, "It's a pattern." He tapped the table with three even taps using his other hand, "If we see that pattern or hear it, whoever has the scrolls s'posed to use it."

"Scrolls?" Chouza leaned forward.

Chouji glanced at the window again before mumbling, "Kazuki's got these scrolls to get Naruto out of trouble."

Chouza was a little surprised the Fugaku and Mikoto had allowed Kazuki access to summoning scrolls, "What makes you think something happened?"

Chouji looked at the window again, "Those flares at dinner tonight…"

Chouza felt something inside him freeze for a moment. He had thought that those flares were unusual, but he had assumed it was part of some drills for the curfew. Now that he thought about it, those flares had seemed to come from the direction of the Uchiha compound.

It was most likely just a coincidence.

"Kazuki's never signaled us before."

Chouza studied Chouji's worried expression. He wasn't going to get anywhere teaching Chouji Baika no Jutsu when the boy was this distracted. If he spoke to Shikaku, he could probably get around the curfew. He needed to talk to Fugaku about some of the festivities planned for the next day anyway. Though, that did remind him, "Why did you want to go to Naruto's then?"

Chouji looked up, "Naruto has the scrolls. He couldn't stop talking about having a sleepover on the way back, so…" Chouji swallowed.

"You think he summoned Kazuki over?"

Chouji nodded, before looking down and fiddling with this shirt, "It's probably nothing, but…"

Chouza stood up and leaned across the table to pat Chouji on the head, "I'll see what I can do."

After being hounded by the village elders for the last month, Shikaku was probably eager for an excuse to break the curfew.

-0-

**08:08PM  
**"Holycrapholycrapfreakinghell-KAZUKIIIII!" The woman was bleeding. She was bleeding all over the scrolls, the floor, his hands...

When he had seen the flares, he had hesitated. Maybe it wasn't Kazuki that was signaling him. However, excitement at the prospect of his first sleepover quickly overcame his hesitance, and he had quickly thrown the two scrolls Kazuki had given him across his living room. Immediately three figures, which was already one more than he was expected, had landed with a solid thump on the floor. Curious about the stranger, he had paid attention to the woman first and that was when he had first noticed the red stains trailing down her chin.

"_Kazuki!" _When it finally registered that Kazuki hadn't responded, he looked back and realized that neither Kazuki nor Sasuke had made a sound since he had first summoned them.

He turned around and half-crawled, half-ran to Sasuke, who was lying closer to him, "Sasuke!" When there was no response, he slapped the boy's face, "Bastard!" When there was still no response, he leapt over Sasuke and darted to kneel next to Kazuki.

Grabbing one shoulder to flip his friend onto his back like Sasuke, Naruto was startled by the warm dampness he felt.

There was a kunai buried to the handle in Kazuki's shoulder.

He hovered his hands uncertainly over Kazuki. _Whattodowhattodowhattodo? _He scrubbed at his head with his hands and tugged at his hair, blinking rapidly in an attempt to prevent his tears from leaking out.

What had Iruka said to do?

He swallowed and looked back at the other two lying in his room. Quickly, he scrambled back to Sasuke's side. Grabbing both shoulders, he screamed into his rival's face as he shook the boy back and forth, "SASUKE! WAKE UP! WAKE UUUPPPP!"

There was still no response.

His voice broke, "Damn you." Vision blurring, he looked up across the room at the woman again. He was pretty sure she was Kazuki and Sasuke's mom.

He released his hold on Sasuke and backed away on all fours. Across the room, he could see a pool of blood growing beneath the woman.

Bandages.

He could do bandages. He leapt up and tore down the hall to his room. Flipping aside dirty laundry and old comic books, he searched for his old roll before running back.

Dropping to his knees next to Kazuki, he tugged the boy into his lap and began to haphazardly tie bandages around his friend's chest. As he passed the roll back and forth from hand to hand, he glanced at Sasuke and the woman.

He needed help. Sasuke looked fine, but the lady was….

Swiftly tying a knot, he gently lay Kazuki down and dashed out the door. For five long minutes, he went from door to door, banging and hollering, but to no avail. Sinking to the floor, he wiped at his eyes furiously with one arm while hugging his knees with his other arm. This was taking too long.

Fighting to control his panic, he growled in frustration. Why would no one answer him? Why was he always – ? Iruka-sensei.

He leapt up and ran back to his apartment. Iruka-sensei would know what to do.

Slamming his door shut, he gave the bodies in his room one last glance before running to his room and leaping out the back window.

_Hold on guys_.

_Please_.

-0-

**08:08PM**

Ki o tsukete.

He exhaled slowly and deactivated his sharingan. He glanced at the pile of debris, where he had last seen Sasuke. As he had expected, his other brother was also gone. The last time he had seen that pattern of chakra dancing across Kazuki's skin was during his chuunin exam, when his whole team had been summoned into a separate stadium by summoning scrolls.

Who was the summoner? From the boy's expression right before disappearing from his grasp, Itachi guessed that the summoning had been expected, which would imply that "Kazuki" had planned to be summoned.

Aside from the summoning, there was also the case of "Kazuki". Placing his sudden display of skills aside, the boy's expressions, motions, chakra, words, - everything indicated that the boy _was_ his brother.

His mother had also been trying to tell him about Kazuki.

_Kazuki, watch… Something… to him. Has sharingan._ Had she known about and hid his skills? But he had interrupted her, broken off her chance to say her last words.

Two chakra signatures rapidly approaching interrupted his reverie. Judging from the fact that the owners of the chakra signatures seemed to be making an attempt to broadcast their presence, he guessed that they hadn't yet detected him. Swiftly, he wiped his face and retreated. He had ninneko and village elders to find.

-0-

**08:12 PM**

Kakashi wasn't sure who noticed something was amiss first. He wasn't sure what tipped Gai off, but it was the iron stink of blood for him. Catching Gai's eye, he flicked his fingers to the left. He could see the gates to the Uchiha compound approaching in front of him as Gai nodded. At the next intersection, he darted left while Gai continued his dash straight down the street.

As he hid his chakra signature, a tiny part of him regretted not being able to finish the race. Dismissing the thought, he quickly flipped himself onto the rooftops and continued his advance towards the compound. On his final leap, he bit his thumb so that he summoned his ninken upon landing atop the compound gates. He motioned for Pakkun to stay while making a separate signal for reconnaissance to the rest of his ninken.

As the rest of his ninken scattered, he grimly faced Pakkun and signed, "Alert Hokage: Attack in Uchiha Compound. Investigating with Gai. Send medics."

Once Pakkun disappeared, he heard Gai's rendition of an owl's screech; it sounded like a dying crow. As he stood, the wind changed directions, blowing straight into his face with a new scent.

_Firewood?_

-0-

**08:20 PM**

"I _told_ them the curfew was unnecessary," grumbled Shikaku for the umpteenth time that night.

Inoichi groaned and Chouza laughed. It had been a pleasant surprise to find Inoichi at Shikaku's place - having an Intelligence member and a Jounin Commander eased his concerns over breaking curfew. Both men had been looking for an excuse to break the curfew.

Stopping in front of the apartment complex, Inoichi scrutinized the general neighborhood, "This is where Naruto lives?"

Before Chouza could reply, the sound of a slamming window caused all three jounin to look up, just in time to see a small figure flying out.

Shikaku tensed first, and as the small figure swiftly made his way down, Chouza saw the reason. In the dim lighting cast by the neighborhood street lamps, Chouza was just able to distinguish blood from shadow on the village jinchuriki's face.

Warily, Chouza stepped forwards, "Naruto?"

Bright blue eyes snapped in his direction and for a moment everything was still.

"…Chouji's…dad?"

Cautiously, he nodded and barely motioned away Shikaku and Inoichi's concern away in time before Naruto launched towards him to clutch at his arm.

"Hurry, you hafta hurry!"

Grabbing the boy's shoulder, Chouza spun him around and crouched down so that he was on eye-level. From this distance, he could make out tear-tracks dividing the crimson smears on the boy's cheeks, "Whose blood is this?"

The boy pulled away with a desperate shout, "I DON'T KNOW! KAZUKI'S BLEEDING AND SASUKE WON'T WAKE UP AND –" He was cut off as Chouza lifted him.

Shikaku was already halfway up the building when Inoichi stepped forward, "Are they in your apartment?"

Caught by surprise, Naruto managed a nod. Almost in unison, the three men made their way up to where they had heard the window open. The light was still on.

Shikaku entered first, followed by Inoichi, who then opened the backdoor for Chouza to enter with Naruto. The moment Chouza stepped over the threshold Naruto wriggled out of his hold and started pushing Chouza down the hall, past the other men. From the corner of his eye, he could see Shikaku and Inoichi making a note of their surroundings. There were no clear signs of struggle. The only thing out of place was the blood smears on the floor.

The moment he saw the three figures lying motionless on the floor, he pushed Naruto back and swept the boy into his arms. Shikaku and Inoichi rushed past him amidst Naruto's protesting yells.

Ignoring the boy's cries, Chouza waited until Shikaku called to enter the room, with the boy still in his arms.

Pushing the boy's face into his shoulder, he surveyed the scene as he waited for Shikaku's assessment. At the far right of the room, Shikaku crouched over a woman that he identified as Fugaku's wife. Blood had pooled beneath her, staining summoning scrolls and floorboards underneath her. At the center of the room, Inoichi was squatting at the head of Sasuke, with one palm over the boy's forehead. To the left, he recognized the familiar form of his son's best friend, causing him to clutch Naruto a little tighter to his chest. Absently hushing the boy, he looked up as Shikaku stood.

In a low voice, he asked, "Is she - ?"

Shikaku shook his head sharply and walked quickly to the other side of the room.

_Dead then_. He felt Naruto stiffen in his arms and asked his next question by motioning behind the boy's back, "_The boy?"_

Mindful of the shoulder injury, Shikaku started to lift the boy with one hand while signing with the other, "_Blood loss and chakra exhaustion_." Hearing the shift of cloth as Inoichi withdrew his hand from Sasuke's forehead, Shikaku turned, "How is he?"

Instead of answering verbally, Inoichi shook his head.

Both men were silent as they watched Shikaku take another quick survey of the room. With a sharp exhale, he hugged Kazuki closer to his chest and placed on hand on the boy's forehead. After glancing at Inoichi and receiving a nod, he waited for Inoichi to mimic his movements with Sasuke.

Picking up on Shikaku's intentions, Chouza made his way over to the woman. He readjusted his hold on Naruto so that he could hold the boy in one arm, and picked up the woman with his other. Murmuring softly, he spoke into the boy's ear, "We're going to hospital ok?"

He felt the boy manage a small nod against his shoulder.

"Let's go."

He looked back, in time to see shadows leap across the room to grip Inoichi. He quickly brought up the rear, following as Shikaku led the way out of the apartment and over the rooftops towards the hospital.

-0-

Once he felt secure in Shikaku's shadows, Inoichi entered the boy's memories.

"_KATON GOUKAKYUU!"_

_Smoke burst across the room, obscuring his view of his brother. He felt a hand grip his wrist and soon he was being tugged down the stairs and out of the house. _

_With the darkness and panic flooding his body, it took him a moment to recognize the form running in front of him, "Kazuki?" _

"_Shhh! Keep your voice down!" _

_Kazuki stopped abruptly and docked into a small alleyway. _

"_Kazuki!"_

_He felt like his shoulder was going to pop out of its socket as Kazuki jerked him down and started to whisper urgently, "Quiet! We need to get out of here!"_

_Sasuke yanked his wrist out of Kazuki's grasp, "Mother and father are still back there! And nii-san's still –"_

"_Look at your shoulder! Do you really think that was nii-san?"_

_At Kazuki's words, Sasuke absently brought a hand up to touch the deep gash in his shoulder. Kazuki leaned in, "Think for a moment! If that impersonator could take down mother and father, what do you think you could do?"_

"_I –" Fear froze his mind._

"_Can you transform into a kunai?"_

_Frustrated, Sasuke burst out, "What - ?" _

"_Just do it!"_

_Seeing Kazuki hurriedly look over his shoulder, out of the alleyway, Sasuke hastily performed a henge._

"_When I throw you, run. Get out of the compound and don't look back."_

_It was too late to protest, Kazuki was already racing out of the alleyway. He struggled to maintain the henge when he heard a familiar voice call out, "Do you hope to distract me from your brother, Kazuki?"_

_The next thing he knew, he was hitting the ground. The impact caused him to release the jutsu. The smoke dispersed in time for him to see another version of him perform a kawarimi with a log. _

Was that Kazuki? Where does he get all those random twigs?

_He was shaken out of his thoughts when he heard the shout, "DAMMIT SASUKE. GET OUT OF HERE!" Scrambling up, he quickly realized he was standing behind the impersonator/Itachi, who was facing Kazuki. Biting his lip, he hesitated. _

"_I TOLD YOU, IT'S NOT ITACHI! RUN!"_

_Before he could react, he stared as the impersonator/Itachi hurled a wall of shuriken towards Kazuki. He started forward in a desperate attempt to shield his brother when suddenly a set of red eyes with _that black pattern_ filled his vision. _

_He heard his brother intone, "Mangekyou sharingan!"_

_A grisly arc of blood spatter on broken screen doors. A flashing sword swinging down, silencing choked screams. Bodies hit the floor in hollow thuds. Familiar faces mouthing silent words. The auntie from the bakery with blood burbling forth, frothy pink from the mouth. Light fading from gazes so blank. The sudden collapse, black hair falling gracelessly across white skin– it was his mother, his mother crying, tears streaming down, his father's choked gasp, red mixing in black upon the clan fan, and his mother crying out below Itachi's impassive face-"It's ok. Sasuke! It's ok – can you hear me? Sasuke, answer me! SASUKE!" _

_He coughed, vaguely aware of his sore throat. Blinking rapidly, he gradually realized that Kazuki was crouched over him. When had he fallen? _

_Suddenly, it was Itachi standing over him with frighteningly blank expression, swinging down with a kodachi. _

_He shrieked. Abruptly, Itachi disappeared and was replaced with Kazuki again._

_Swallowing, he darted a glance at his surroundings, searching for Itachi. Spotting Itachi only a couple paces from him, he automatically looked back to confirm Kazuki, only to see nothing there. A sudden thud to his right caused him to whip his head around to see Kazuki lying in a heap against a storefront wall, with Itachi steadily approaching his brother. _

_What had happened? _

_Realizing that Itachi was much too close to Kazuki, he forced himself onto all fours. Limbs quivering, he managed to get one foot under him and looked up just in time to see Itachi pick Kazuki up by his collar and slam him against the stone wall, "Stop it!"_

_His voice was hoarse. _

_Why wasn't his body obeying him? Why was Itachi doing this? Blinking away the tears that threatened, he struggled to his feet and gasped out desperately, "Why?"_

_His brother stood there, motionless with one hand immobilizing his other brother. _

Those eyes, there was nothing in them. _It reminded him of that impassive expression in the face of his mother's desperate cries. _

_Gritting his teeth, Sasuke choked out, "Why did you…?"_

"_To measure my capacity."_

To measure his capacity?

.

.

No.

"_No," Sasuke shook his head in denial, "No." _It wasn't; it couldn't be. _"You're not my brother. You're not –"_

"_The brother you wanted to spend time with has done this to measure _your_ capacity. I acted like your companion to see your potential. Your hate for me, your desire to surpass me, _your_ capacity… those are the reasons I will let you live, so that you can be like me."_

_Sasuke listened with increasing horror as his brother spoke. Closing his eyes, he shook his head back and forth. This wasn't happening. The denial escaped him before he even realized he had opened his mouth, "NO!"_

"_Sasuke! Don't listen to him! He's not Itachi."_

_He looked up in time to see Itachi press closer against Kazuki. _

"_Kazuki on the other hand…"_

_He felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up as ice creeped down his body. _No.

_Itachi lowered his head, "I don't think you have the capacity. _Mangekyou sharingan._"_

.

Kazuki.

.

_He ran forward, desperate to do something, to stop this from happening, to end this nightmare – to protect the brother he had always watched over. _

-0-

"Shikaku."

Shikaku turned. Seeing that Inoichi's eyes were opened, he released his shadows.

"We need to see the Hokage. The Uchiha compound has been attacked."

Startled, Shikaku furrowed his brows before nodding, trusting Inoichi to inform him of the news on the way to the administrative tower. As he nodded, Inoichi turned back to Chouza, "Can you guard the children? Kazuki may be a target."

Chouza's eyes darkened before giving Inoichi an affirmative grunt.

-0-

By the time he was able to go home, the birds had already begun to chirp. Careful of the boy's bandaged feet, Chouza hefted Naruto higher onto his shoulder and opened the door. Entering quietly, he stifled a yawn as he closed and locked the door. Hopefully, Chiharu wouldn't mind hosting a guest for a few days.

He turned only to stop in surprise at the sight of his son sitting in the foyer, asleep against the wall.

He had forgotten that his son would be waiting for news. What was he going to tell his son?

At his sigh, Chouji stirred and opened his eyes. Seeing his father, he shot straight up and scampered over to hug his father. Wrapped around his father's leg, he looked up and suddenly noticed the presence of Naruto.

Chouza leaned down and picked up his son.

"Something bad happened didn't it?"

Chouza hugged his son tighter and nodded. Toeing off his sandals, he stepped onto the wood floors. As he slowly made his way down the hall, Chouji shifted, "Is Kazuki ok?"

Chouza frowned. Climbing the stairs, he finally answered, "I don't know." Entering Chouji's room, he set both boys on the bed and begun pulling out blankets from Chouji's closet, "The medics seemed to think so."

He placed Naruto on the makeshift bed before turning to Chouji, who was visibly upset. "Let's talk more in the morning ok? Get some rest." He pulled back the covers for Chouji.

However, instead of climbing under the covers, Chouji hopped off the bed.

Startled, Chouza watched in interest as Chouji walked over to his desk and pulled open the bottom drawer. Rummaging in the back of the drawer, his son took a moment to find what appeared to be a scroll.

He waited with equal parts patience and concern as his son just appeared to stand in front of the desk, lost in thought. Just as he was about to speak, Chouji turned to face him, clutching the scroll tightly with both hands.

"Kazuki … He told me to give this scroll to you… if …anything happened… to him."

-0-

Kabuto looked up as Atsushi burst into the room.

"Oh! Kabuto! You're here this early?"

Kabuto nodded, nonplussed, as the Chief Medical Officer bounded over, "Terrific! Can you take a look at this then?"

Accepting the package and documents that were shoved in his direction, Kabuto blinked as the man continued to ramble, "It's amazing! I've never seen anything like it. They discovered remnants of it in a patient's mouth, you know?"

Placing the package on the desk, Kabuto began to flip through what appeared to be lab results as Atsushi continued to gesture excitedly at him, "I managed to get the labs to rush an analysis of the substance. If you could let me know what you think of it, that'd be spectacular! Your insights are the best of anyone here, you know!"

Patting the boy's back, Atsushi dashed out of the room with, "Thanks! I'll see you later!"

Kabuto looked at the package with interest. If the Chief Medical Officer didn't recognize the substance…

* * *

**A/N Cont: **Eh. I tried. =.=

Still have a lot of 'explainy' stuff (particularly about Kazuki) to come in future chapters. Thanks for pointing out what's currently confusing. Hopefully this chapter didn't make it worse… heh.

**Replies to reviews: **Have I mentioned how much you guys rock? Anyway, thank you: **1 Guest** (You really are my #1 guest haha. Thanks so much! I'm glad I wasn't too vague about the events. Awesome – thanks for the feedback! Thank you so much for your continued support!), **AnonymousFern** (Yay! Thanks for always reviewing and for answering my question! Makes making decisions so much easier ), **ITACHIROCKS** (YEEESSS! So glad Itachi came out right. Hahaha, any special requests for Omakes?), **Uzushiogakure9** (Hahaha, I had to stifle my giggles when I read your review. Wow, that is such a relief. I'm glad the chapter came out well XD. Yeeeaaaaa, I'm still trying to figure out things there :winces: haha. Thanks so much for your encouraging words and for your feedback on chapter lengths!), **#17 Guest** (Ehehe, yea. It definitely wasn't carnivorous. I was going to use "crazy ass plant", but then I figured the connotations of the word 'carnivorous' worked better. 'chakra sucking' didn't seem to have the same feel to it either… am I talking nonsense? Heheh), **Almost Ninja**, **creven16**, **amethystfirechik**, **fluehatraya**, **duquette7**, **Waffles43**, **Lock on Lockon**, **wolfeclipse25**, **#18 Guest** (Thank you for reading the story! Thanks for your feedback and your review! Hope this chapter didn't disappoint), **Grey-Rain-Cloud**, **not the usual baka**, **Lily Umbra**, **RunningFromShadows**, **sindbad7771**, **#19 Guest **(Yay! I'm glad the massacre chapter didn't turn you away. Also thanks for the feedback on the chapter length!), **TheSameAnonymous** (Wooow… =^.^= ok, that review blew me away hehheh. I'm totally going to get an inflated head from that review, I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter! Ah, I don't have a fictionpress account, but I'll let you know if I ever do XD I tend to think most of my ideas are stupid/have a problem of overthinking. Anyway, thanks for continuing to follow this story and for reviewing!), **EveJHoang**, **So you want to be an Author**, **Mats** (Well I'm glad it was entertaining XD I'm half glad and half worried that you think it seems like a rehash of canon events. On one hand, the story's currently following canon pretty closely because I think Kazuki's way too young to make significant changes right now. On the other hand, I'm a little worried that the minor changes I've made right now seem a little too minor. :shrugs: Thanks for your review though! I definitely looked over my outlines again after your comment.) , **Crown of Shadows**, **#20 Guest** (Hopefully this chapter clarified that point), **Cadel**, **Jhallel**, **fellow** (Thank you!), **Linh02**

**Conception Notes:  
**On Pairings: Yay, so I got my first question on pairings in this story. The short answer is **I have no clue**. I don't even know if there will be romance in the story. The long answer is that this story has become more of a character exploration piece for me. My original outline for this story has become obsolete partially because of the recent manga releases but also because of how I gain a deeper understanding of my characters as I write them. (Yea, it's a little weird). For example, I knew that making Shikamaru an Uchiha would force him to be a little more motivated earlier on, but I had forgotten about what the cascading effects of having a sharingan could mean for him. (:scratches head: I'm really glad I didn't do a SI Uchiha fic. That life would have sucked.) I think everyone's a little too young or preoccupied to be thinking about love right now, but that's not to say that some of the interactions in the following chapters won't be lying a foundation for relationships later. I definitely welcome any opinions about what you guys think about the characters, since it definitely helps me understand them more. I want to write a story that is faithful to all of the characters and this leads me to my next point.

Untitled Omake Work: One of my reviewers (ITACHIROCKS) pointed out that I should have omakes in this story. This work will probably contain the 'misc' scenes from this story, including scenes that had OOCness, didn't fit, and other general stuff. At some point, if I also want to see a pairing develop but can't make myself believe in its authenticity, I might just stick scenes from that in this untitled work as well. I make no promises though.

New Names: Chiharu's the name of Chouji's mother's voice actor. (I know, unoriginal). Chief medical officer was taken off of a baby dictionary.

**Plot Question:** Ok, since I got awesome answers the last two times I did this, I figured I do it again. Are there any scenes people are interested in seeing before everyone graduates (~Chapter 11)? I've outlined several scenes for that time period, so if the proposed idea conflicts with what I have, I probably won't include it – but I might adapt it for later. I have roughly four years to get through, and I feel like the scenes I have currently might be a little sparse. If there's not much of a response, I'll prolly just keep to the scenes that I have and assume people don't really care what I do in the meantime XD

**EDIT 11/7:** I was thinking about putting my thoughts on the characters for the _Conception Notes_ in the next chapter. However, if I put all of my notes, it'd end up being pretty long, so I was thinking about putting down my notes for one or two characters at a time (kind of like how they do it in mangas). Which character do you guys want to hear about first? (Would this be of any interest?)


	7. Ashes

**A/N:** _Ashes, ashes, we all fall down_. Who else was creeped out to learn about the origins of that song? Do kids still sing that song now?

EDIT (11/14): Apparently I should double check what I've learned as a kid. Quick thanks to **cpg468** for directing me to an awesome explanation debunking said myth (Google: Snopes Ring Around the Rosie).

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

**Ashes**

* * *

Standing up, Sarutobi Hiruzen winced at the sound of his joints popping. He was getting too old to sit through midnight Jounin council meetings. Rubbing his knuckles in an effort to stimulate the circulation in his cold hands, he made his way across the room and closed the door to the office.

The sky was only just beginning to brighten. The lamps had long been extinguished, leaving the room in the shades of grey that was only possible under dim lighting.

"I assume you heard everything."

In a shadowed corner of the room, a dark figure materialized.

Sarutobi marveled at the boy's skill. If he hadn't seen the paw print inked on the corner of his desk, he would have thought that he was alone in the room. With a pang of regret for everything that had been lost in the past few hours, he studied the pale features of the Itachi's face as the boy, finally assured of their privacy, took a step out from the shadows and knelt. Putting down his pipe, Sarutobi leaned against his desk tiredly, "What happened?"

Eyes cast on the ground, Itachi answered with a low voice, "Danzo."

Sarutobi sharpened his gaze. Ever the perfect shinobi, there was nothing in Itachi's stance that gave a clue to the boy's thoughts.

"He left the plans to Madara."

Sarutobi blinked. Had he heard correctly? Pulling all-nighters didn't usually affect his hearing. Removing his reading glasses, he rubbed his eyes.

"Madara. Uchiha Madara." It was a statement, posed as a question.

Itachi raised his head from its bowed position. The negligible but noticeable departure from shinobi etiquette was a sign that the boy hadn't expected his reaction. From the boy's searching glance, it wasn't too difficult to discern what must have happened. Watching Itachi turn his glance aside, he suspected the boy must have arrived to the same conclusions as he had.

The benefit, and tragedy, of having two highly intelligent shinobi who shared common beliefs holding a conversation, was that few words were ever needed. This dearth of communication saved time and fertilized the grounds for misunderstandings to take root.

Fury clogged his throat. Finally, he managed an apology, "I'm sorry." _For not preventing this, for allowing Danzo to intercept your message._

In the dim lighting, Sarutobi couldn't be sure whether or not he saw Itachi's lips tighten minutely, before the boy ducked his head, "Protect them – my brothers, please."

The words, softly worded, were solemnly stated. If it was any other person, the desperation in those words wouldn't have been discernible. But for Sarutobi, who had watched the boy's impassivity for the past few months with growing concern, it was almost physically painful to see.

Itachi spoke again, "I agree with Shikaku's assessment."

_No doubt, rumors will reach the other nations by the end of the next two weeks. They'll be waiting and watching to see how we have been weakened, and they'll expect a show of force. If Konoha appears weak, treaty or no treaty, Kumo and Iwa will attack, and with our history, Suna will "hesitate" to come to our aid. _

"However, he neglected to mention the political fallout within the village." Itachi licked his lips and caught Sarutobi's eyes from beneath his lowered lashes, "I know, the sharingan's allure won't be ignored – can't be ignored." The boy took a breath, "…But, as Hokage, shield them. Defend them. Don't allow them to be used before they're ready."

Taken aback by Itachi's directness, Sarutobi was further discomfited when Itachi shifted his weight onto both knees. To Sarutobi's growing horror, the boy placed both hands on the floor and pressed his forehand to the ground to carefully and quietly enunciate, "Kazuki and Sasuke. …They are only four years older than your grandson. I beg you, do what I cannot and protect them."

He stayed there for half a beat before adding, "_Please_."

With self-disgust constricting his throat, Sarutobi rasped out, "I will."

Before he could say more, Itachi raised his head and met his gaze from behind his bangs, "Especially from Danzo."

Sarutobi's eyes hardened, "Of course." He wondered if the boy was mincing words because the man had been a former teammate.

Almost as if he was testing Sarutobi, the boy held his position and added, "_All_ sharingan users may be a target."

Curious, Sarutobi asked, "You mean Kakashi."

Itachi nodded.

Wondering about the source of the boy's concern, Sarutobi waited. When the silence stretched, he knew an explanation wouldn't be forthcoming. Knowing the morning's time constraints and the futility of pushing the boy, he relented and offered, "I'll alert Jiraiya."

Turning his back to Itachi, he walked behind his desk and pulled out a thick black envelope. Sunlight was beginning to inch into the room, introducing color as it crept past the window. Itachi, however, remained monotone with his pale skin and black ANBU under armour.

This was it.

He tossed the package to Itachi and walked to the window, "I'll stall the investigation for as long as I can. However, as you heard, Kakashi and Gai were the first on scene and Nara Shikaku was one of the men who found your brothers. Most likely, I'll only be able to offer you a week before declaring you as a missing-nin."

"I understand."

"Good luck." He turned around to see Itachi stand. Both of them knew that this would most likely be Itachi's final mission for the village and the last time they would be able to have direct contact without endangering Itachi's position as a spy.

He started to turn back to the window when he heard a whispered, "Thank you."

He stared at the now empty space and heard his knuckles crack as he clenched his hands into two fists.

_Forgive me. _

His moment of introspection was broken by a sudden instinct to step to the side. A split second later, the window was slammed open and a blur of green, grey, and black tumbled into the room.

He watched as Gai made one more lunge at Kakashi, who ducked, before realizing where he was. Immediately, he leaped up and started bowing repeatedly while spewing out apologies, "I'm sorry Hokage – I didn't realize, I –"

Holding up a hand, he cut off the man's ramblings. Behind Gai, Kakashi stood in his customary slouch. A slight flush at the tips of his ears was the only indication of his embarrassment. His eyes were otherwise half lidded in a bored expression. A hint of soot, too evenly shaded to be a bruise, decorated his forehead, marring his otherwise pristine appearance. Undoubtedly, their clothes from last evening had already been confiscated for the investigation.

Both of them gave no sign that they had been awake for 24 hours.

Sighing with equal parts envy and irritation, Sarutobi made his way back around his desk. At least the two of them hadn't destroyed the window with their entrance. Idly, he couldn't help but wonder, would he have been able to give the same order he had given to Itachi to Kakashi – the man who he had witnessed grow up from being Minato's taciturn little shadow?

He watched both men straighten as he found his chair and sat.

Yes, he would.

Unsure if that was a comforting thought, he forcefully returned his mind to the matter at hand. Certain that the ink had dried, he flicked his hand to roll the document he had written just hours before into a scroll, which he then held out to Kakashi.

As Kakashi stepped forward to accept the scroll with both hands, Sarutobi spoke, "As you've both witnessed, the Uchiha clan is gone. We will do our best to delay this news from spreading."

He leaned forward and folded his hands under his chin, "However, other countries will learn of this soon." He gave Kakashi a significant look. The man had been through this once already.

"Damage control then?"

While Gai tensed and chanced a look at Kakashi, the speaker himself remained still. Even having watched the man grow up, Sarutobi was hard-pressed to discern what the masked man was thinking.

Sarutobi nodded, "Your mission has two parts." He held up one finger, "The first is to find Jiraiya and bring him back to the village."

Kakashi blinked.

Holding up a second finger, he continued, "The second is to build your reputations."

Seeing understanding and excitement dawn on Gai's face, he asked, "Do you have any questions?"

He waited as Kakashi unfurled the scroll for a brief scan over its contents. Gai looked on from behind Kakashi's right shoulder. Kakashi finally lowered the scroll, "We're being sent together?"

"Yes, you two start tomorrow. I understand you both still need to file a formal report for last night."

When they both nodded, he gave them a tired but sympathetic smile, "I'll let you both prepare then. Dismissed." Before the two of them could step toward the window, he added, "And take the stairs this time."

He swore he saw the outline of a pout beneath Kakashi's mask before the man was tugged into a sloppy bow by Gai. The men quickly left and he was soon left alone in his office.

He watched as the shadow cast by the hokage's hat developed a discernible edge. _All this, before it was even six. Damn you Minato, for leaving me with this mess. _

Huffing another sigh, he turned to the window. Scanning the village, he gave a rueful grin when his eyes landed on two familiar trees that he knew overlooked the women's springs. It would be nice to see his student again.

-0-

Kakashi hadn't missed the Hokage's deflection. Sending two shinobi on a mission wasn't out of the ordinary. However, sending the two of them together seemed a little odd.

Both of them had fairly strong presences. He had the sharingan and Gai was just… Gai. While he had no doubt in their ability to attract attention as a show of Konoha's power, sending the both of them together seemed an inefficient use of the village's resources.

Then, there was the timing. Gai had just left ANBU. Meanwhile, he had been carefully kept from taking on any missions for two months. If it weren't for Gai, he would have suspected that the Hokage had been purposefully letting him rest in preparation for this mission.

Trailing behind Gai, he barely managed to fight down another yawn and felt a moment of regret for his split decision to use the sharingan the previous night.

For a clan that had a strong natural affinity with fire, the smell of burnt wood sometimes lingered on the clan members. However, something about the scent that was carried by the wind that night was different and had caught his attention, leading him to what he would later discover to be the home of the clan head. By the time he had arrived, a steady blaze was visible from the rooftops, and his first thought had been that the fire was a hurried attempt to hide the evidence.

While there was the off-chance the fire was caused by accident, he had been determined not to lose anything that would allow the village to pursue its violator.

Having taken a quick breath, he had lifted his headband and rushed into the house. He had done his best to quickly scan the areas endangered by fire with his sharingan before sliding down his headband and summoning a Suiton Suiryudan to extinguish the fire.

Afterwards, between the water and fire damage, there had been very little left to examine in the house. It didn't help that both of his eyes had been irritated by the smoke either. The rest of the night had been filled with collecting reports from his ninken and comparing his findings with Gai. Surprisingly, despite the size of the compound, they had still been able to finish combing the scene before reinforcements arrived. He supposed, with a small amount of skepticism, that the delay could have been due to confusion over the curfew.

"Ah, Gai. It's good to see you. Do you mind if I borrow Kakashi for a moment"

He looked up as Gai released his arm and waved a greeting, "Shikaku, it's been awhile! Not a problem!" Turning, he patted Kakashi on the shoulder, "I'll see you tomorrow at the village gates?"

Once Kakashi nodded, Gai flashed him a grin and ran off.

It was somewhat reassuring to see Gai displaying some of that same energy from their childhood.

He was sure he'd regret thinking that in a few days. When he turned his head, Shikaku was at his side.

From the dark circles under his eyes, it looked like the man hadn't slept either.

"I understand you have a ninken named Pakkun?"

Startled and curious, Kakashi gave a short nod. He watched as Shikaku grunted and rummaged inside his jacket to pull out a small scroll. Taking the scroll when it was offered, Kakashi noted the question on the outside of the scroll with confused amusement:

_**What would unite five nations?**_

He darted a quick glance at Shikaku, who only continued to watch him – presumably to see his reaction. He unrolled the scroll only to see two words at the center of the page.

_**Ask Pakkun**_

Was this a joke? At this hour? He looked up and raised an eyebrow. Shikaku seemed too lazy to be purposefully cryptic.

Heaving a sigh of apparent disappointment, Shikaku reached behind to pull out another scroll, "The scroll was sealed within this one and given to Chouza."

Taking the second scroll, Kakashi noted the childish scrawl across the top, _**SECRET. Naruto, if you open this scroll, it won't work when we need it. Also, stay out of Chouji's stuff! **_Curiosity peaking, he tucked the first scroll under his armpit and unrolled the scroll. At the center of the page was the expected storage seal. However, there were two lines at the top and bottom margins, written in the more elegant script that he had seen in the first scroll,

_**Fostered flames may consume the Will of Fire.**_

_**Butterflies may land where deer may graze.**_

A faint sense of alarm rising, he rolled back the second scroll and handed both scrolls back to Shikaku, "I don't understand."

Accepting one scroll but pushing back the first, Shikaku gave him a serious look, "Can you take another look? Nothing jumps out at you?"

With a shrug, he retracted his hand and unfurled the scroll again. As he raised the scroll to the sun for better light, Shikaku elaborated, "I heard you were the first on scene at the Uchiha compound."

Kakashi nodded before flipping the scroll upside down and raising the document once more to the sun.

"Apparently Uchiha Kazuki entrusted these scrolls to Chouza's son, to give to Chouza in the case that something happened to him."

Kakashi paused in the midst of repositioning the scroll, "Uchiha Kazuki – Itachi's brother?"

"Yes. Chouza gave the scroll to me when he saw the second line."

Kakashi peered over the top of the scroll.

"It's not exactly a secret, but it's usually only used on internal medical documents between the Nara and Akimichi." Shikaku rubbed his eyes, reminding Kakashi that the man probably hadn't slept the night before either, "I have some other ideas, but I figured you'd be leaving for a mission soon – so I wanted to catch you before you left."

Holding out the top of the scroll with one hand, Kakashi scratched the back of his head with the other, "I could summon Pakkun to see what he knows, but I haven't had any contact with the Uchihas until last night." With that he prepared to bite his thumb, only to stop and sniff.

_Ginger?_

-0-

"BLEEGGGHHHHACKKKKKKACK! GET OFFFFF YOU DUMB CAT!"

An almost equally loud yowl broke the morning ambience.

Clinging to the tiles, Chouji watched as Naruto fought with a black cat outside the second story hospital window. He knew this wasn't going to end well. Why had he decided to follow Naruto?

He watched as Naruto shoved the cat away before jerking with another loud howl as the cat scratched him. Though he inched towards the quarreling pair cautiously, he was still taken by surprise when the cat turned its attention onto him.

In the next instant, he somehow found himself crowded under Naruto, and plastered against the window. It was difficult to see anything with his cheeks pressed against the window, but he managed to make out a small figure approaching. The next thing he felt was his face sliding with the glass as the window opened. Naruto's presence behind him caused him to tumble head first into the room. Unfortunately, that meant he acted as the cushion for Naruto's landing. Through his wheezing, he was dimly aware of the cat streaking past the both of them down the hall.

He hoped they weren't about to get into trouble.

Naruto, recovering faster than him, leapt up ready to seek revenge on the cat only to startle back, "Sasuke!"

"What are you two doing?"

Finally regaining his breath, Chouji looked up from his place on the floor. Judging from the pillow creases on Sasuke's face, he guessed that the ruckus they had been making had woken Sasuke.

Naruto finally seemed to unfreeze from where he had been staring at Sasuke, like the boy had three heads. With a shout, he launched himself forward and grabbed Sasuke's arms with both hands. Taken aback, Sasuke let Naruto turn him from side to side. He quickly snapped out of it and shrugged Naruto off when the blond haired boy started to lift his bandaged arm, "Quit it you idiot!"

To his surprise, instead of retorting as he usually did, Naruto took a step back with an unreadable expression on his face.

"What's with you?"

Chouji watched, uncertain whether or not to intervene as the tension built.

Rolling his eyes, Sasuke took another step forward, impatient and uneasy, he asked, "Where's Kazuki? Have you guys seen him?"

At the question, Naruto seemed to shake himself. Drawing himself up, he snapped down in a sharp bow and apologized in a noticeably tight voice, "Sorry." Without another word, the boy then ran out the door.

For a second, Chouji thought that Sasuke was going to chase after Naruto. But instead, after taking a step and stumbling, Sasuke stopped. Bringing a hand up to clutch at his shoulder, the boy slowly turned to face Chouji with a scared expression.

"What happened?"

Chouji looked down at his hands. He wished he hadn't caught Naruto attempting to sneak out that morning or remembered the conversation that had followed.

"What's wrong with him? Where's Kazuki? What do you know?"

Chouji swallowed, "He blames himself."

Sasuke stared, "For what?" His shoulders were visibly tense.

"Didn't they tell you? Naruto's the one who found you guys." Chouji watched worriedly as a fine line of tremor started to develop on Sasuke's frame. Licking his dry lips, he continued, "He blames himself for not summoning you guys earlier."

Sasuke looked pale. It occurred to Chouji then that perhaps the reason Naruto had tried to enter the hospital from the window was because he knew that Sasuke wasn't supposed to be disturbed. He hoped he wasn't making a big mistake by answering Sasuke's questions. Sasuke stared at him with incomprehension, "Summoning?"

Chouji nodded slowly and was about to elaborate when Sasuke started asking more questions, "Tell me what? What were they supposed to tell me? And where's Kazuki – and my parents? I'm in the hospital aren't I?!" He removed the hand that was clutching his shoulder to tug at his hospital gown, as if to emphasize that fact.

Chouji stared with growing dismay at his situation. _Sasuke really had _just_ woken up_. Morbidly curious and dreading the answer, he returned Sasuke questions with one of his own, "What's the last thing you remember?"

He watched as Sasuke seemed to stare at him with a blank expression. Then, ever so slightly, never breaking eye contact, Sasuke shook his head. The motion became greater as the denial in his face grew, "No."

Regretting his question as he watched Sasuke's breathing speed up, Chouji hurriedly stepped closer to Sasuke. He latched both arms around his classmate before the boy could bolt and awkwardly held on tightly.

It wasn't like he considered Sasuke a friend, so much as Kazuki's brother. He knew, or at least strongly suspected, that Sasuke didn't really think much of him – or Naruto. At the same time, between Naruto's instinctive pestering and Sasuke's familial connection to Kazuki, it was inevitable that he would spend a good amount of time with Sasuke.

Additionally, from the note his father had left him that morning, he knew that Kazuki was lying in the intensive care unit. There was nothing he could do for Kazuki there.

_But here… _

"Let go! I need to go! Mother and father are waiting, I SAID LET GO!"

Chouji said nothing. He didn't know what to say. He didn't know what had happened, but he knew that Sasuke's mom was dead and that his dad was investigating Sasuke's home.

As Sasuke exhausted himself screaming, neither of the boys was aware of the cat slinking off from the edge of the doorway.

-0-

With a quick snap of the wrist, three incense sticks stabbed themselves into the sand amid dozens of other burning sticks. Itachi watched the smoke trail upwards for a moment before taking one of the temple's side exits and sitting down on the stone steps.

Slowly, he undid the tie and removed his headband to cradle it in his hands. He traced the village symbol engraved in the metal for a moment, committing the moment to memory. He briefly considered burying the headband, before common sense returned. It would be a waste not to use the power and symbolism behind an openly adorned marked headband, especially if he was setting out to join the Akatsuki.

He set his headband beside him and drew out a kunai. Instead of a quick strike as he intended, he found himself slowly and painstakingly scratching a line across the insignia. For some reason, the movement reminded him of when he had thrust the sword into his father.

Hurriedly, he swallowed down nausea and donned the marked headband.

A plaintive meow alerted him to the presence of a black cat that soon emerged from the nearby shrubbery. Padding quietly over, the cat started to butt up against Itachi's knee. He held one hand out for the cat to rub its face against and listened as the feline's rumbles immediately grew louder.

He felt some of the tension leave him as he received confirmation that one of his brothers had woken. Despite his caution during the skirmish and listening in on the reports made by the Jounin council to the Hokage, he still had feared that he had permanently injured Sasuke the night before.

Then there was Kazuki.

A small part of him was sickened at the thought of how close he had come to maiming his youngest brother, whom he had sworn to protect. A larger part of him was still in disbelief that the boy _was_ his brother.

Skills aside, every other sign seemed to confirm that the boy was his brother. The boy's movement, chakra, and words all seemed aligned with what he knew of his brother.

And yet, how did the boy have the Mangekyou?

It didn't make any sense. His brother had never been in the field; there was no setting for him to experience the emotional triggers necessary to activate his sharingan.

He knew he hadn't had much contact with his brother in recent months, so there was a very good chance that he had missed the signs. Still, it was a little difficult to reconcile the image of his laid back brother with someone who had activated the sharingan. Kazuki had always been difficult to rile. The closest he had ever seen Kazuki distraught was when the boy had those nightmares.

He also wouldn't have thought that Kazuki would continue acting as before after activating the sharingan. Most Uchiha who had the sharingan only became that mellow with age.

However, after having reexamined his memories of that night, Itachi was certain that his mother knew of Kazuki's sharingan and kept it a secret. Additionally, if his brother had activated his sharingan, it could plausibly explain why Kazuki could perform the kage bunshin and the kagemane techniques. If he continued along that line of thought, then the events of last night would also indicate that his brother had a much higher intelligence and chakra reserve that he had thought.

Having observed hints of the Kazuki's intelligence when he was younger, the idea that he was much smarter than Itachi had thought wasn't exactly a surprise. The fact that Kazuki had purposefully hidden his talents was. Moreover, why had his brother kept his skills a secret?

All of his hypotheses relied on Kazuki being much more aware of village politics than a boy of his age could be.

As the cat made its fifth pass around his hand, he reached out to rub its ears. Shrinking from his touch, the cat sat back and shook its head quickly.

He frowned. So Kazuki was still asleep?

The cat froze in the middle of scratching its ear with its hindquarters.

"Are you ready to go?"

At the deep voice, the cat streaked into the bushes.

Itachi held himself still. He hadn't sensed the man's approach at all. Masking his surprise, he asked, "You thought I'd go with you?"

"Haven't you confirmed their safety?"

A chill ran up Itachi's spine. For a moment, mourning the loss of his parents and stewing over the mystery surrounding his brothers, he had forgotten that he had attracted the attention of one of Konoha's legends and the threat that such a legend carried.

"Did I scare off your ninneko before it could finish its report?"

The innocent amusement in the man's voice grated on Itachi's nerves. He turned to face the man. As he eyed the man's orange and black mask, he was jarringly reminded of what he had seen when he had used the mangekyou on Kazuki.

The proportions of the masked man in the vision matched the man before him. However, in that vision, there had been another man, slightly taller, who matched the historical descriptions of Madara down to the man's wardrobe.

As he scrutinized the man before him wordlessly, a sense of freefalling swept through him.

What if, the man before him, wasn't Madara?

* * *

**A/N Cont: "**Know yourself, know thy enemy…" But what if you didn't know your enemy? I don't think Itachi really knew who his enemy was in canon. Also, sorry this A/N is disgustingly long:

**Conception Notes:  
**Delay in Chapter release: I was struggling with the portrayal of Itachi & Sasuke's reactions to the massacre. I think the difficulty with highly intelligent characters is finding the balance between practicality and emotions. Additionally, Itachi's 'big picture' and 'greater good' mindset was a bit foreign to me. Also, the whole scene with Naruto barging into Sasuke's room was originally from Sasuke's POV. But I wasn't satisfied with anything I wrote there. So you guys got this. :P

Sarutobi & Itachi: Originally, Sarutobi asked how Itachi could forgive the village and Itachi replied with another question – how had Sarutobi forgiven the Uchiha clan for Biwako? I also thought about how Itachi would be acting the morning after the confusion. Would he ask about his brothers? How distraught would he be? Additionally, as a village elder, how the heck does Sarutobi react to the loss of an asset such as Itachi? There was a lot that I ended up taking out and even more that I tried to hint at. Hopefully, the scene made sense.

Blaming Itachi: So I think the initial blame would have landed on Itachi no matter what. The last character witness was Sasuke. From the initial body count, Itachi's absence would have been notable. Coupled together with the fact that there were few candidates who could perform the Mangekyou, his missing presence would have been very suspicious. Additionally, I feel like the village elders would have preferred to lay the blame at his feet. If it got out that this was a bit of a village versus clan thing, the other clans would probably protest out of unease (somewhat similar to the federal vs. state political power struggle type of deal). However, Kazuki's interference has led to some key differences, which I hope came across well. The first is that Danzo and Obito _rushed things_. The second is that Itachi was surprised and unsettled. The third was that the first responders on the scene were not Danzo's men. I'll stop my train of thought there to avoid spoilers. But, hopefully this eases the initial disappointment that Itachi hasn't been cleared of the murders.

Ninneko: Who else noticed the cat that startled Sasuke when he first returned home in the anime? After having Kazuki disappear on Itachi, I thought it'd be strange if Itachi, who basically sacrificed everything to save his brothers, didn't confirm that his brother's were ok. Hence, ninneko.

**Final notes** (cuz yea, the review response section is long :3):  
1. I'm slowing down my update rate. It's just not sustainable without a beta, and my work's kinda suffering at my current update rate. As always, I'll try to keep the status of the next chapter updated on my profile.  
*To new/old readers, I'm looking for someone who's very familiar with the anime, who won't mind discussing spoilers for this story to hammer out how characters should interact, and who will do a quick skim through to spot typos.  
2. Since some people asked, I made a rough sketch of what I think Kazuki would look like after graduating the Academy; basically, what he looks like now, except with bangs. The sketch is up on a link in my profile.  
3. Are Sakura's parents civilians? (I'm not talking about the Road to Ninjaverse, but any hints mentioned in canon)

As always, please let me know what you like/don't like about the story (and the author notes). Plan is to have Kazuki wake up, meet Shikaku, and … Kabuto (sorta) in the next chapter. We'll see. :)

* * *

**Review Responses**: Merp. So… I suppose I should thank whoever added me to a community that caused the sudden rush of alerts and favorites. (150 Reviews. Like wat? :gapes:) A quick thanks to those new readers who dropped a review before subscribing – it helped disperse that feel of a silent spectating crowd gathering. o.O Eheheheh. Didn't realize stage fright was possible from writing. Ended up disabling the Plus+ alert feature XD  
Special thanks to those underlined/italicized reviewers, who have encouraged me for over several chapters now – never failing to leave a short review of encouragement. _**It really helped get this chapter out**_.

Thank you: _**Lock on Lockon**_, **iamterriblyclever**, **Toto Kiti** (Thanks! I'm glad the chapter didn't disappoint :D Hope this one satisfies!),** almakarma18**, **GunnerRyuu**, _**TheSameAnonymous**_ (:jaw drops: yaaaaay, I was worried that the twig thing seemed a little random, but at the same time I felt like a kid would be in shock and everything. And yea it was also intended to be a little bit of a comic relief. Thank you so much for leaving your thoughts in a review! Knowing what other people make of my scenes really helps me develop my chapters. Thank you so much!), **A fan** (:hearts: pity ffnet doesn't allow the less than equal sign. Thank you!), **LokiHatake**, **Grey-Rain-Cloud**, **KitsuneNaru**, **SayianWizard, ****amethystfirechik**, _**#1 Guest **_(If I could double underline your name on ffnet I would. And no, not at all. When I saw your comment, I was like, actually I don't really know the exact definition of an "omake". According to the internet, it's an "extra". In general, I've seen it used to describe the extra scenes where characters can act silly and out of character on more mundane/everyday topics. Thanks for your review!), _**AnonymousFern**_ (:hearts: Would also love to double underline if I could here. Thanks! Yea… phrases whatevs haha), _**ITACHIROCKS**_ (Again, would love to double underline your name if I could. Thanks for never failing to leave a review :D), _**Uzushiogakure9**_ (would also double underline your name if I could. Oh, I think you give me too much credit haha. I didn't have to do much searching for her voice actor thanks to the Naruto wiki. Yay hugs :D. Yea… I'm keeping the omakes as a separate story just in case they suck haha. And heh I have no idea about the capitalization. I'm actually surprised no one has complained about my use of capitals with the Japanese. I'm pretty sure I've been inconsistent, but I figure someone will point it out soon enough if it really bothers them. XD Yay! Whelp, hopefully this chapter doesn't disappoint since he's not really in it much again… =.=;;; YES! Oh my gosh, I didn't realize how fervent people were about pairings until I started looking at the profiles of people who had alerted this story – and yea that's kinda stalkerish, but I figured they did it first ehehehe I'msoimmatureAAANNnnnyway… I figure I have some time before getting to pairings… if I even do. Thanks for the warning though! Yea… I generally avoid SI Uchiha fics, though I had briefly been thinking about writing a crack one where the protagonist decides to jump off a cliff to avoid dealing with the whole mess… but then I realized that was like really morbid, and probably really inappropriate .;;; … I think my comment was more ADD then yours… hahaha. Thanks so much for always reviewing!), _**Almost Ninja**_ (Yay! I'd double underline your name if I could. Thanks for never failing to leave a review!), _**Fluehatraya**_, **#21 Guest **(Haha, aside from "it felt right", the scene break also gives me more time to figure out who Kabuto is… He's a really fascinating a disturbing character o.O Not sure if I'm going to regret introducing him this early heheh. Thanks for leaving a review!), **White Ivy**, **Lilyoftheval5**, **10****th**** Squad 3****rd**** Seat**, **SeeJaye**, **lazyguy90**, **#22 Guest** (Yay! That's such a huge relief. I'm glad they still seem like kids XD), **Perfect Beauty**, **Windninja1000**, **Rissa-chann**, **kittyhawk09**, **Andreasfr**, **Kokoni** (:/ Yea, I had a lot of trouble trying to figure out how he could prevent it before realizing that he was up against incredible odds. For awhile, I felt like even getting him to delay the attack was stretching it a little bit. Hope this chapter doesn't disappoint. It was a little tricky getting into Itachi's head.), **Ressan**, _**not the usual baka**_, **Elelith**, **ElectraSev5n**, **indelibility**, **BYoshi1993**, **Jirouto**, **JWolfcat**, **Kuroyuki the Ryu, Bobboky**


	8. Ignition

**A/N:** I swear I am trying to get some females in .;;; Anyway, since I reached 200 reviews, I figured I'd update a week earlier than planned…

And yea, there's a bit of swearing. Two words I think.

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

**Ignition**

* * *

_Of the samples you sent, only twenty-seven possessed the eyes; of those, only two were AB+. With such limited samples, I cannot assure you of any results._

_Trees are stifled when they have only potted soil with which to root themselves – as I'm sure you're aware. Moreover, the lone patient I have can only survive so many transplantations to find these eyes and I'm afraid I've quite exhausted his abilities to recuperate. I fear he will soon take his leave._

_Looking forward to your reply,  
A Step Before Four_

Danzo stared at the final signed words of the missive with annoyance. As if he needed a reminder of who he was corresponding with – hmph.

He crushed the missive in one hand and tossed the balled document into the open flame hovering in the copper dish. Watching the edges of the paper blacken and shrivel, he considered the ramifications of handing over the remaining bodies of the Uchiha clan to Orochimaru.

The faster they were out of his hands and out of Konoha, the less likely they would cause trouble. At the same time, Orochimaru was hardly trustworthy. The fool had let himself be discovered with those sixty children – and all before he had isolated the secret behind successful Senju cell transplantation. Sloppy.

Still, he needed that man.

He lifted the bandage covering his palm. The skin underneath was still visibly inflamed. The eye at the center of his hand was swollen shut. With some effort, he managed to get the eye to peer open for half a second before letting it fall shut. Realizing that his breath had started to pick up, he quickly controlled his breathing. He didn't want to show any sign of weakness, even if he was in front of his men.

Readjusting the bandages on his hand, he shouldered his right arm back into his black sleeve and stood. It was a true pity he hadn't managed to convince the Hatake brat to come under his tutelage. Gaining his own sharingan had given him a much greater appreciation of that child's brilliance.

Closing his eyes, he basked in the warmth of the open flame and mulled over his options.

He loathed the idea of freely handing over the rest of the bodies. As he was reminded of the scrutiny that the investigation over the massacre faced, he remembered the other problem that was plaguing him.

Madara.

It was strange and alarming that a legend from the village's past was once again haunting them as a living specter. Nevertheless, as much as he had distrusted the Uchihas, he would have to be blind not to acknowledge Itachi's mental acuity and talent in foresight.

It was really the only option he had at the moment. If the boy felt that he had forestalled Madara's interest in the destruction of the village, then he'd just have to take advantage of the reprieve and prepare the village for the day Madara's interest returned_._

He opened his eyes and walked straight towards the exit.

Madara wasn't the only imminent threat faced by the village. Reports of the Akatsuki were growing more disquieting by the month. While he was sure Itachi would manage to occupy and direct their attention to an extent, he needed to make his own contingency plans.

He swept through the doors and made his way into the brightly lit chambers of the Hokage tower. There were rumors that the Akatsuki wanted the tailed beasts. If that was true, then the group would most likely want to start with the Ichibi, as the theoretically weakest and thus easiest to control of the tailed beasts.

It was just his luck that the last report about the Ichibi had pinpointed the demon in Suna.

Given that Suna bordered Ame, he was sure that Hanzo wouldn't fail to take the opportunity to finally shut down the Akatsuki if they came to Suna for the Ichibi. It was just an added bonus that a weakened Suna would increase the flow of mission requests from the Land of the Waves to Konoha.

He shouldered past another bespectacled genin and ignored the silver haired boy's apology as he climbed up the steps to the falconry tower.

This could work. As long as Orochimaru failed to present the sharingan eyes and Senju cells compatible to him, this would serve as a reminder to that snake-obsessed child that his secret patronage was not without limits.

Quickly, he scrawled out his counter offer using the common supplies provided in the tower. At his hand signal, both a falcon and ROOT operative appeared.

With a twisted smile, he tied the scroll to the falcon's leg and released the bird out the window. He turned his back to the window, knowing the operative would ensure that the bird would escape general notice.

He was sure Orochimaru's snakes would appreciate his messenger.

"Danzo."

He looked up and immediately felt like grimacing. Keeping his face passive, he tilted his head just the slightest inch downwards, "Hokage."

Beneath the cover of his hat, Hiruzen rumbled, "Am I?"

Danzo held his breath.

"To you, am I really the Hokage?"

Danzo lowered his head further, "I don't know what you mean." Under lowered lids, he darted his eyes back and forth. They were alone.

"Then explain it to me. Why conceal Madara's existence from me? Moreover, what gave you the authority to authorize the execution of the entire Uchiha clan?!"

It had been a long time since Danzo had heard menace directed to him from Hiruzen. He raised his head, "Madara. Uchiha Madara?"

Hiruzen stared at him, distinctly unimpressed.

Danzo wondered what the Hokage knew, or thought he knew. It was unlikely that his former teammate had any proof of his tampering with official communications – the man wouldn't have waited until now to confront him if he did. Furthermore, Hiruzen wouldn't be confronting him like this if there was concrete evidence of his involvement. Narrowing his eyes, in a low graveled tone he continued, "Perhaps I should be asking what it is you have been concealing from the council."

Undeterred, Hiruzen sharpened his glare, "Your involvement has endangered the village-"

"My involvement has _saved_ this village."

"So you do not deny your hand in this."

Danzo brought both of his hands to rest over the top of his walking stick, "Time was running out. _Someone_ had to make the call."

At the veiled slight, Hiruzen tightened his left hand into a fist under the cover of his sleeve. "That wasn't your call to make, just as it wasn't your call to declare Itachi a missing-nin."

Danzo scoffed, "Did we not decide to declare the boy a missing-nin from the onset of this whole operation?"

"Yes, however-"

"Do you intend to ignore your advisors' counsel then?"

"No-"

"Then I acted within my bounds."

Hiruzen gritted out the words, "You _acted_ prematurely. You leapt without looking that night and tossed away lives needlessly."

Danzo suppressed the impulse to roll his eyes, "You're still a hopeless optimist."

"The talks were working."

"You thought a festival was going to fix years of discontent? Don't be ridiculous."

"What's ridiculous is the investigation that's been carried out."

"Is there a point to this?" Danzo watched suspiciously as Hiruzen seemed to regain his composure.

"The point is that you were _sloppy_ Danzo. You were impatient and rushed – and you can't erase what's already been seen by people such as our valued jounin commander." Hiruzen gave him a feral grin, "The _point_, is that you've attracted my attention. Was that what you were looking for?" _Was that a reference to ROOT?_

Having spoken, the leader of the village left the room without as much as a whisper to mark his exit.

Danzo let out a slow breath. _Hiruzen,_ _was that supposed to be a threat or a warning? _

_I would have thought you knew me better by now. _

_To me, a warning is as good as an opening to strike. _

-0-

Inoichi frowned. What he was doing was borderline illegal.

However, he agreed with his old teammates that the events of the past month were undeniably strange. The slaughter of a clan as exalted and treasured as the Uchiha would unquestionably motivate a fast investigation. Still, he would have expected the investigation to take longer than six days.

The collection of evidence alone should have taken two weeks – maybe a week if all of the morgue technicians and investigative staff were involved and working around the clock. However, with other oncoming cases, some commissioned by daimyos, occupying the attention of the investigative team, that type of total dedication to a single case should have been impossible. Additionally, working around the clock was generally discouraged since it often led to mistakes and misfiled reports. Not to mention, he doubted some of the equipment could handle the strain of working for that long without rest.

The collection of evidence took three days. Processing took two. The announcement declaring the only member missing from the body count as the sole person responsible for the attack was released the next day.

Even though the teen blamed for the attack was only thirteen, Itachi's reputation had preceded him and few questioned the announcement.

He paused in the alcove and pretended to be preoccupied with reading the scroll in his hands as another one of the clerks passed him. A moment later, he stepped out of the archives room and headed for the exit.

He would have been among the masses that accepted the report. The problem was that his words were used to support the conclusions listed in the official report. His words and the words of his friends had all been used to describe the whole massacre as an open and shut case of genius descending into insanity.

However, the report failed to address the issues that he knew he had raised within his own report; and after conferring with both of his friends, he knew he wasn't the only one whose concerns hadn't been addressed, or even mentioned, in the official records. Ordinarily, he wouldn't have been bothered enough to take action. There was always a chance that something had been discovered that couldn't be disclosed to the general public.

However, after learning about Chouza's scroll, he hadn't been able to shake the impulse to learn more. For one, Chouza's son was involved. As a friend and a father, he couldn't ignore his protective instincts to uncover the details and confirm whether or not there was a threat to his family and friends. Two, the scrolls simply reeked of intrigue that no civilian, Academy-student or not, should be able to produce. As a member of the Konoha Torture and Interrogation Force, it was against everything he had ever learned to even try to overlook the matter.

Anko had once joked with a lascivious grin that "poke and prod" should be their slogan, since none of them would, or rather could, stop when others would. He just hoped he wasn't poking the wrong dragon.

Stepping onto Shikaku's porch, he knocked three times before letting himself in. As he stepped inside, he saw Yoshino tucking away a cleaver under her wheelchair.

One-legged or not, that woman scared him. Ignoring his greetings, Yoshino hollered at the staircase, "Shikaku, Inoichi's here! I'll be in the backyard."

In one practiced movement, she spun the chair to face Inoichi, "Dust your feet off before you step any further. Shikaku can't dust for shit and guest or no guest, I _will_ come after you if I have to clean the floors." She paused and grinned fiercely, "After all, we're practically family, aren't we?"

With a nod and a smirk, she left him where he stood.

"Huh. Guess today's been a good day." Inoichi turned slowly to see Shikaku watching him with both arms draped lazily over the bannister.

"That was a good day?"

Shikaku grinned.

Shaking his head, Inoichi carefully tugged off his sandals. Inspecting his feet for any sign of dirt that he could have tracked in, he asked, "Is Chouza already in?"

"Mmhmm. Were you able to find the reports?"

Finishing dusting off his feet, Inoichi stepped onto the wood floors and made his way over to the staircase, "Yeah, here. I made a copy." So saying, he tossed the documents up.

"Did you learn anything new about the scrolls?" He followed Shikaku into the study and saw Chouza sitting at the desk.

Shikaku nodded absent mindedly, and waved a hand at Chouza to elaborate as he scanned the documents that he had been given.

Reaching behind him, Chouza took out the familiar two scrolls, "Remember how Kakashi had detected traces of ginger on these scrolls?"

Inoichi nodded.

Chouza grinned sheepishly, "Well, I think we overthought the problem."

Inoichi furrowed his brows, "Overthought?"

Chouza nodded, "What color is pickled ginger?"

Completely confused, Inoichi hesitantly answered, "Pink?"

Chouza nodded, "I'm not sure how he did it, but if you brush vinegar over the surface, you get this." Chouza held up the unfurled scroll with both hands. On it, Inoichi could barely make out very faint pink lines underneath the inked "Ask Pakkun". The lines reminded him of the pink afterimages he'd see when he would try to read official documents right after staring at Gai's jumpsuit.

Chouza elaborated, "It's a bit faded now, but if you look carefully, you can make out the characters for 'oak beside female springs' It took a while, but we found this buried under that oak."

Inoichi looked at the third scroll that was spread flat on the table, "You're kidding." An array of what appeared to be random characters was written at the center of the scroll.

Another riddle.

Chouza laughed, "Relax, Shikaku thinks he's solved the riddle."

At the sound of this name, Shikaku looked up. When he saw that he hadn't been called, he directed his attention to Inoichi, "Have you read this?"

Inoichi nodded with a twisted smile. For Chouza's benefit, he summarized, "The final report also omitted Kakashi and Maito's analyses; they were the first ones on scene. Although they both suspected an Uchiha killed the clan, Kakashi believes he saw wounds on the body destroyed in the fire that suggest that there was a second perpetrator. I suspect the two compared notes, because it seemed like Maito made an effort to point out that there were a few other cases where it looked like the bodies could have been moved after their deaths."

Hearing this, Chouza looked at Shikaku, "What are your thoughts?" Curious as well, Inoichi turned to face Shikaku and leaned back against the desk.

Shikaku sighed and walked over to the desk. He placed the copied records in front of Chouza, "The only new detail that this account might provide is that the second attacker was not as involved as the first."

Grabbing a cushion, he waved off Chouza's attempt to give him the chair and took a seat on the ground, "Kakashi was careful to describe the two wounds he saw on the clan head and how he suspected that a mercy killing had taken place."

Inoichi frowned, "I thought he mentioned that he was basing his conjectures on a brief glance."

Shikaku nodded, "Right, but if you look carefully at his account, he later mentions that he had been using his sharingan."

Chouza leaned forward, "Why did he suspect a mercy killing?"

"There was less blood around the second wound centered over the heart than the first, centered over the stomach."

Chouza sat back with a look of revulsion, "Mikoto had the same wounds."

Shikaku nodded, "The issue is, if this was a mercy killing, it would make more sense for Itachi to be the second attacker suggested by both Kakashi and Gai's accounts. 'Attacker' may not even be the right word to use."

Recalling the protests of Kazuki that he had seen in Sasuke's memories, Inoichi felt his stomach began to knot. Grimacing as he started to see the implications of Shikaku's words, Inoichi started, "So the authorities are hiding the existence of the actual perpetrator with Itachi as a scapegoat?"

"The boy may have agreed."

Inoichi jerked back, "What? To killing his parents?"

Frustrated, Shikaku ran a hand over the top of his head, "No. I don't know. Possibly."

Inoichi gaped, "Why - ?"

"He is, was, ANBU." Shikaku rubbed his forehead, "He would know that leaving the scene would make him appear suspicious. Additionally, with his skills, it wouldn't have been too difficult for him to protest his innocence."

At this point, Chouza chimed in with a troubled look, "This… could also explain why Kazuki was left alive."

Inoichi looked at Chouza, "Did Chouji ever say why Kazuki thought something was going to happen to him?"

Chouza shook his head, "No. On that note, Shikaku, didn't you say you thought you had figured out the message behind the riddle?"

Shikaku stood up with a groan, "It really isn't much of a message - very similar to the previous scrolls." Reaching the desk, he leant over to grab a pen. Gesturing, he explained, "It's a standard cipher."

Sketching out lines on a separate piece of paper, he showed how the characters could be realigned.

Inoichi leaned over, curious, "Shattered vessels unite five nations to break the God-Tree."

"The Shinju," Shikaku corrected, "Also known as the Juubi."

"There's a Juubi? I thought the Kyuubi had the highest number of tails."

Shikaku shrugged, "Anko had recognized the name."

Inoichi frowned, "You talked to Anko about this?"

"She saw me playing around with the words. Speaking of," Shikaku leant over the scroll again and circled the first lines of words that had been cast to the side by the cipher.

Chouza laughed, "A play on homophones?"

Right beside the characters that sounded like a certain village elder's name were five numbers: 1, 8, 7, 8, and 2. Inoichi sounded out the characters, "Dan-zo-i-ya-na-ya-tsu; Danzo, unpleasant guy?" He glanced up, expecting to see a reluctant but triumphant smirk on Shikaku's face.

"What's wrong?"

Shikaku glanced at him with raised eyebrows.

Gesturing vaguely at his face, Inoichi explained, "You looked troubled. Do you have something else you want to share?"

Shikaku twisted his mouth for a moment as he thought before shaking his head slowly.

"Spit it out."

Shikaku looked up.

Inoichi crossed his arms, "You want me to look into the boy's head, don't you?"

Holding his gaze, Shikaku replied, "He's recovered enough for it to be safe."

-0-

Urgency clawed the back of his throat. _Sasuke. Needtofind-havetomove-can't – Sasuke_

_Sasuke_

_SASUKE. _He could feel the ends of his fingers tingling even as the pressure in his head built with his growing desperation to _**MOVE**__._

He sat up with a gurgled shout, "SA-Ghackack". He was coughing even as he mouthed the first syllable. As he shook with the coughs, a sharp pain in his left shoulder bloomed. Shutting his eyes (_when did_ _they open?_), he collapsed back onto the bed, turned to his right side, and drew his body into a tight curl.

Gradually, the shock of registering the pain faded even as the coughs continued. Where was he?

"_WHAT'S GOING ON?"_

Right, Naruto had pulled through with the summoning, just as –

"_Who are you?" _ A blurred sight of faintly shining tear tracks.

–he had been pinned by Itachi. His coughs eased, leaving him to gasp in shallow breaths.

He had knelt in his mother's blood. Sasuke was on the ground. He had said goodbye.

Four years of preparation.

Had he … failed? "Sa…suke."

He opened his eyes.

"He's fine."

He stiffened. But before he could protest, he found himself being gently maneuvered into a sitting position. A paper cup was pressed against his lips, causing him to instinctively take the object in his face with his right hand. Seeing the crushed ice at the bottom of the cup, he quickly tilted the cup back and immediately felt cool relief in his dry mouth.

Lowering the cup, ready to thank the nurse, he was caught by surprise at the sight of a familiar face.

_Dad...?_

The man was wearing a ragged deer skin vest that he hadn't seen for years (since the Fourth World War) over the standard issue green flak jacket. He remembered how soft the vest had felt against his fingertips.

How long had it been? The laugh lines were fainter; his hairline, lower.

For a moment, all he could remember was the touch of Ino's father's mind against his own.

_I'm proud of you… Shikamaru. _

But…

this wasn't his _dad_, and this wasn't his father.

But he was more of a father than his own had ever been. His own father had bled out on the floor of his own home. His dad was back (_and maybe he could fix everything again)_ but gone _again_ at the same time.

He didn't realize he had been inching away until he hit the bars bordering the head of the bed. He didn't realize the words were tumbling out of his own mouth until he heard them, "Who are you?"

As the man's concerned expression registered, he realized that his breathing had been getting faster. Ducking his head, he let his hair fall around to frame his face, hiding his expression from the man. He blinked rapidly, and for a moment, it felt like reality had reasserted itself again.

Then the man spoke, "You don't know?"

He pressed himself harder against the metal bar, letting the pain in his shoulder ground him from the achingly familiar sound of the man's voice. Keeping his head down, he jerkily shook his head.

He heard the man lean away.

"I'm a friend of Chouji's father – Shikaku Nara."

He held himself in that position, tense. He could almost feel what he imagined would be an expectant stare weighing down on the back of his head. _What do I say? Why was he here? (Could he makeeverythingalright? Maybeitwasalljustabaddream)-._

The sharp clack of wood on wood interrupted his inner thoughts. He looked up. The man was sitting a short distance from his bed at a small collapsible metal table, playing what appeared to be a game of shogi by himself.

He waited for the man to say something. But as minutes passed, when Shikaku just continued to snap pieces onto the board, he felt himself gradually uncurl. Releasing his hold over his knees, he grabbed his left arm to hold it in place, as he leant closer to the side of the bed.

Despite himself, his fingers itched to hold a shogi piece once more across the board from his dad-_no, across from Shikaku_.

His swallow was nearly audible in the silence, causing him to finally study his surroundings. Curtains partitioned off the area and provided an illusory sense of privacy. Had the hospital changed the color of the curtains since the last time he had been here?

Reminded of the last time he had woken in a cordoned off section, he glanced around for a calendar. When he saw nothing on the wall, he turned to study his guest with trepidation, but the man just continued to study the board in front of him.

"What's the date?"

Without looking up, Shikaku replied, "You've been asleep for a month."

_A month?!_ He supposed he should have expected that. It had just been instinct to respond to Itachi's mangekyou with his own. _What had happened to Itachi?_

Could he ask? Did he really want to hear the answer?

He watched as his dad moved the pawn forward, forming a familiar formation.

He knew the answer.

He just didn't know what to do.

Four years.

He had been trying for four years and it ended like this.

"Do you know how to play?"

_Do I know how to play?_ He recalled a sleepless night, sitting in front of the moonlit board, going through strategy after strategy, determined to take down the sadist that had killed his sensei.

Unlike now, he had Hidan to target. Unlike now, he had been desperately trying to prevent his family from dying.

It felt like his strings had been cut. Who was his target now? How did he avenge his family? How did he get his home back? Moreover…

.

…who was he?

.

Why did he have these memories (_if nothing would change?!)_?

.

He shunted his thoughts to the side. Going into hysterics would be pointless, useless, and completely counterproductive (_towhat? What was left?_). He'd been asked a question. Inching further to the side of the bed to better study the board, he collected his thoughts.

"What if you knew your opponent was going to dismantle your Mino castle by taking your rook?"

He watched the man carefully, but the adult still didn't look up, "I'd move my rook."

Checking the board, Kazuki plotted the moves that the man could take, "What if… you knew that your opponent was aware of your plans to sacrifice your pawn to save your rook in the next five turns?" _What am I saying…?_

At this question, Shikaku finally looked up. With a considering expression, the man answered, "My plans would change of course."

"So then, your opponent's knowledge would be useless."

"Considering it would be outdated, then yes. Perhaps."

Despite his nerves under those familiar set of black eyes, Kazuki yawned and immediately winced again. _Why wasn't he on the good drugs?_

"I should let you rest."

He looked up when he heard the metal chair scrape against the floor as Shikaku stood. _What was he thinking_?

Blinking away the sudden wave of fatigue, he stared up at the older man. He wasn't sure what the man saw in his expression, but the blank mask softened the slightest bit as the man's lips upturned the slightest degree.

"I'll visit you again some other time."

_What?_ Kazuki managed to croak out, "Sorry?" But by then, Shikaku was already exiting the door with a disturbingly thoughtful expression on his face.

-0-

Shikaku stared absentmindedly at the array of baked goods on display. He had meant to ask about the scrolls and the snippets of memories Inoichi had seen. But he had been caught off guard by the boy's appearance and mannerisms. _Pale skin and dark eyes, fingers curled into the off-white hospital sheets._

Something about the boy reminded him of Yoshino – after the miscarriage.

Stepping forward, he selected a few of the buns on the shelves and walked over to the register to pay.

Initially, experience with traumatized civilians had kept him quiet, to allow the boy time to adjust to his presence. He hadn't expected to attract the child's attention when he passed the time by playing shogi against himself, or for the child to pick apart the strategies he had been idly employing.

He didn't miss how the boy seemed to be asking questions that were more than just about shogi. Though he wanted to stay longer, the boy's yawn reminded him that he was already going to be late for dinner.

He hoped Yoshino would like the custard buns.

-0-

Kazuki didn't know how long he sat there, staring at the door in bewilderment. Eventually, he turned his attention to the shogi board that had been abandoned. Carefully, to avoid unbalancing himself, Kazuki reached out to pick up the "king" piece.

He cradled the piece in one hand for a moment when he heard two knocks. Before he could answer, the door opened and a teenaged boy entered the room with a clipboard held in front of him, "Excuse me."

Kazuki narrowed his eyes. The teenager appeared young, as if he had just graduated from the Academy. His headplate rested against his forehead, keeping silver hair pulled back from black wire frame glasses.

He looked like a younger version of the Kabuto he had met during his Chuunin Exam.

Kazuki barely managed to disguise his recoil as stretch. Still, his movement had caused the sheets to audibly shift, which grabbed the attention of his visitor.

"Oh, you're awake."

He snapped his eyes to meet a pair of friendly black eyes.

_Shit._

* * *

**A/N Cont**: Heh, hope Shikaku made sense. Didn't get a chance to unpack all of his thoughts. I don't play shogi, everything I know is from Wikipedia.

**Conception Notes:  
**A Step Before Four: Ok, it was lame, and the explanation didn't fit; I felt like the play on words would be something Orochimaru would do to needle Danzo and remind Danzo of who he was working with. I get the feeling Danzo would be pretty condescending to Orochimaru because of Orochimaru's missing-nin status. Anyway, the name is a reference to the number 3, or his title as a sannin (san-nin; three ninjas). It's also a play on the word four, which sounds similar to death in Japanese– since Orochimaru wants to be immortal and everything. I realize, the name could also sound like he's about to die, but given that a person could argue the same thing about "Voldemort", I don't feel too badly about it XD  
Danzo w/regards to Suna & Orochimaru: So I thought it was a little strange how they didn't seem to be aware of Gaara as a potential jinchuriki since he was… a well-known entity in his village. Of course, the same could be said of Naruto, but Gaara's murderous tendencies are a little harder to explain away I think… unless you have someone else behind the scenes. Also, if he was in cohorts with Orochimaru's 60 kids experiment, then that means he could have had plans for the Kyuubi before Naruto.  
Kazuki: So the whole deal with the scrolls actually only occurred to me as I was trying to figure out how the massacre could be systematically addressed. I realized that if the massacre got to the mitigation stage, there was a good chance that Kazuki would have thought about his own chances of surviving. So then the question then became, would Kazuki leave behind a final note? I figured he'd feel obligated to do something instead of, "Screw it, I'm dead, it doesn't matter." The problem was, what kind of message could he leave behind? His knowledge of the future was a tenuous thing since he's never heard of anyone like him, his very existence as an Uchiha implies that his knowledge might be flawed, and the chance of his message falling into the wrong hands. Anyway, hopefully that hints towards why he had directed them to three scrolls and still kept everything vague.  
Trying to figure out his reaction upon waking was difficult. I figured he'd fixate on Sasuke initially since that was his last thought before he fell unconscious. I'm basing his reaction on that 'Team Ten' episode, the time after his first leadership role, and well, by throwing some more curveballs at him… I admit, I flipped flopped a lot and changed the scene with what Shikaku knew and didn't know several times. Kabuto just kinda jumped in there – so I already have a detailed outline for that scene/the next chapter.

**To My "betas" (aka readers)**: I've underlined the reviewers who answered my question in the last chapter in the thanks section and everyone who offered to discuss the Narutoverse with me (apologies if I missed you – let me know if I did, I rushed to get this out). Anyway, I've decided to replace my pleas for a beta by just asking you guys questions in the endnotes. The answers definitely help speed the writing process. So, here are my questions:  
1. Outside of the Chuunin exam, what interactions did Shika have with Kabuto? When has Kabuto been mentioned to him directly in the manga/anime?  
2. Who'd like to talk to me about Sakura and Ino and won't mind spoilers for this story? I have several plotlines in mind, but I'm having trouble making a decision. The faster I make a decision, the faster the next chapter comes out, since I have the detailed outline for half of it completed.  
3. Do people want to see the collected answer to the plot questions that I pose? I'm guessing it's a no for the sake of keeping my A/N …shorter (I know they're long, I'm soooorrry)?

Until I update again, here's a fic that I think is under-reviewed. I've read up to chapter 7 of Riya3's **Kokuten**.

* * *

**Replies**: Thank you all for reviewing! I'm totally still reading every one of these reviews – I've just decided to stop replying to each and every one of them after a few close calls of nearly replying to the wrong one. .;;; Thank you **Fluehatraya**, **Mirthful-Malady**, **#23 Guest** (haha, was wondering when someone was going to do that), **SeeJaye**, **RememberMe-soon**, **Silver Shadowbreeze**, **SuNRisESuNSeT96**, **1412 karasu**, **Eovin**, **not the usual baka**, **unsung soldier**, **almakarma18**, **TheSameAnonymous** (I know righhhht? I felt like it made it harder to write. :sighs: Whelp, hope the time-skip wasn't too disappointing, but I'm sure that my muse would have given up on me if I tried to detailed the inanities of what happened over the month. Ah thanks for trying! After some reflection, I think I might just stick with slower updates and asking my reviewers questions. That seems to have worked out so far. Would a digital manipulation work?), **PCheshire**, **lazyguy90**, **WRose**, **Canisse**, **flakeshake07**, **lacomptessa**, **10****th**** Squad 3****rd**** Seat**, **tyog56**, **LokiHatake**, **CrazyScythe**, **Bobboky**, **Mikan** (Yay! Yea, this was my version of a fix-itDAMNCANON/Ican'tfindanythinggoodIhaven'tread rage fit… and then I actually got engrossed in figuring out the characters …and then people actually liked it. Oops. So yea, aiming for a happy ending. It was also the reason why I kept Itachi actually killing the clan, cuz I couldn't figure out an actual way to save him from himself if it got to that point. Hehehehe, yaaaaay I'm so glad someone's picking up on my hints. :dances with glee:)), **GreenOnBlack**, **#1 Guest**, **AnonymousFern** (Nope haha, I got a complaint about my 'block of thanks', so I figured that was the best way of addressing the issue. Yay :happiness: Yea, it's also interesting how like the default role for any female to take is medicine.), **ITACHIROCKS** (yup. Haha, seriously, for some reason all my "first reviewers" all tend to review around the same time, which makes it easier to remember everyone's names. Plus, well your name was in all caps haha), **Uzushiogakure9** (haha, yup last I checked I'm a girl. Oh huh hah, I've never seen that before XD Then again, I tend to get impatient with fics pretty quickly. Thank _you_ for continuing to review :D), **illiana** (hahaha, I totally laughed when I saw your review and started spewing out words on a page. The problem was, it started being a little less cracky then I imagined –kinda like how this fic was much shorter and simpler in my head. I'm hoping I can make it cracky again but right now it's more of a screw the world, so long suckahs type of deal. I already have you credited at the top of the chapter though- right now I'm planning on publishing it under 'Seriously?'), **amethystfirechik**, **#24 Guest**, **pfft** (I know right? I'm getting a little annoyed at how much trouble I'm having inserting female characters without it seeming forced. Anyway, I have some ideas for multi-girl team stuff, but I don't think I'll be able to write the concepts down for awhile yet, given my current hypothesis about genin teams), **Lock on Lockon**, **Almost Ninja**, **Linh02**, **phoebe turner**, **Bonnie Mizuhara** (You totally made my day when I read your review. Yea, a lot of the stuff about an Uchiha version of Shika didn't really occur to me until I started writing this fic XD. And no worries about the massacre comment – several early versions of my A/N's sounded really disturbing because I was so excited to get to that chapter… heh. No worries =.=;;; I've already been there. One of the reasons I gave myself longer update times was because I realized that I couldn't jump straight into those scenes as I had originally planned. It was basically, I want the excitement of changing those specific scenes, but at the same time I don't want to rewrite canon to get to those scenes. Like between that hospital scene with Gaara attacking Lee and the scene where Kakashi ties Sasuke against the tree with wire, I was like :::urrrgh I want to write a response to this NAOW:::: but… yea. Then it would turn into a drabble fic. Which was what I thought this fic was headed towards until I saw the response. Herpdyderps. Sorry, I think this was waay more rambly than your review. Anyway, I still have several possibilities that I'm trying to iron out. Imma stay mum on the Kabuto part since I'm posting in a chapter XD. Yes! I'd love the chance to talk to you. Unfortunately I think ffnet removed the link that you provided), **EveJHoang**, **#25 Guest** (Could you clarify which part of the ending was confusing? Thanks!), **#26 Guest** (That's a relief, I thought it was dragging XD), **SilverKiwii**, **LaughingAngelsGibberish**, **blackwulf**, **Timisky**, **Deer-Shifter**, **Lethargy**, **serialkeller**, **Sarah423**, **Dareagon**, **E037407**, **ZahreSthr**


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